Bits and Bobs
by Karashi
Summary: A collection of Gwevin/Kwevin one-shots and drabbles set either during Ben 10, Alien Force, Ben 10k Universe or Alternate Universes. Unless stated otherwise, assume no continuity between drabbles.
1. To The Victor Go The Spoils

**Disclaimers:**

Ben 10, Ben 10 Alien Force and their respective character belong to Man of Action.

**Author's Note:**

Rather than cluttering the Ben 10 category with more drabbles and one-shots, I opted to do what the author koyoote did (read Intergalactic Black Market, it is _**awesome**_) and condense all future one-shots and drabbles into one "fic." Continuity may or may not be kept between the updates.

--

**To The Victor Go The Spoils**

The Plumbers had recently enacted preventive measures for the rapidly increasing problem of agent burn-out. After being debriefed from a mission, the aforementioned agent was to take a forced holiday sponsored by the Plumbers, naturally. That was perhaps the only reason why Gwendolyn Tennyson found herself checking into an off-world spa resort. She would have preferred being sent somewhere a little closer to home but spending a week or two away from Earth might do her a world of good.

No pun intended.

While the resort was equipped to pamper and to rejuvenate, it wasn't quite what Gwendolyn wanted at the moment. A pamphlet in the lobby gave directions to a small, quaint little town that flowed into a long, seemingly endless stretch of beach. Even if the sand was a deep magenta, the crystal clear blue water was more enticing.

_It always had to be this way._

And so, here she was, wandering down smoke-colored cobblestone streets speckled with pink sand. Small, twin-suns gently shone upon lacquered stalls where alien merchants offered various knick-knacks and souvenirs. Her bare shoulders seemed to relish the sunshine, having gotten tired of the cold vacuum of space. A balmy breeze tugged at her skirt, ruffling the light material before scooting off to play tag with a random alien's hat.

Gwendolyn remained alert, but more out of the desire to keep her valuables safe from sticky fingers (or tentacles in some cases) as opposed to ensuring there were no enemies within the vicinity. She could stroll down maze-like paths without worrying about objectives or goals or time constraints. She smiled to herself, allowing the peace and cheerful atmosphere to wash over her. She may have had some reservations about this involuntary vacation, but now she was actually beginning to enjoy herself.

_Neutral ground._

And yet she was unable to shake off this nagging feeling that she was being watched. Emerald eyes casually scanned her surroundings, apart from tourists who were overly excited by their first time being off-world nothing seemed to merit suspicion. Maybe she had just been working too hard lately and was being unnecessarily paranoid.

She began to hum softly, forcing herself to relax as she continued to explore the street bazaar. Empathic jewelry that shifted in size, shape and form depending on the wearer's state of mind, bottled horizons that glowed dawn or dusk or high noon with a twist of the cap, looking over various trinkets calmed Gwendolyn down.

But the sensation of eyes watching her every move lingered.

A petite furred stall-keeper gestured to Gwendolyn, "Might some chimes interest you, dearie?" She sweetly asked, holding out the metallic cylinders to the Plumber. As Gwendolyn shook her head, she caught a glimpse of something on the reflective surface. She leaned in for a closer look and her suspicions were confirmed.

"It's very nice, but it's a bit too big for me to buy." She apologized before heading off.

Sandal-clad feet eventually led Gwendolyn to the less populated area of the town. The air wasn't as welcoming here as it was at the bazaar, but the red head felt her surroundings was much more apt for what could happen next.

"What do you want, Kevin?" She asked casually.

_The proposal._

Strong hands rested upon her shoulders as his velvety voice whispered into her ear. "You know what I want."

She felt his warm breath against her cheek and Gwendolyn struggled not to make him aware of the delicious thrill shooting up her spine. Her face flushed when his hands began to slowly trail down her bare arms to rest familiarly around her waist.

"Sorry, not interested." Was her cold response before beginning to pull away.

_The rejection._

Kevin held fast, the smile on his face practically audible as he purred into her neck. "I don't believe you."

She resisted the urge to moan, visibly. Gwendolyn knew she had to get away from him before she lost her resolve.

"Believe _this._" She growled out a strength-enhancing spell and proceeded to break free from his grip. Kicking at the ground, Gwendolyn dashed along the deserted streets, trying to put as much distance between them as possible. She glanced over her shoulder and saw Kevin had disappeared from sight.

_The hunt. _

Gwendolyn should have been worried, she should have been concerned. Instead, she _smiled._ Her aura crackled in warning and she skidded to a halt just as furred limbs shot past her, missing her by a hair's breadth. She somersaulted backwards, her speed allowing her to keep her modesty despite wearing a skirt that willingly danced with the slightest of breezes.

A containment spell was uttered at Kevin's direction but the man quickly shifted forms and easily avoided the attack. In one smooth motion, his hand took on a petrosapien gleam and shards were fired directly at the sorceress. The projectiles embedded themselves onto cobblestone as she took to the sky.

_The struggle._

Gwendolyn didn't have a chance to catch her breath as a stream of flame blazed straight at her. She brought up a barrier, diverting the flames upwards before freezing them solid and raining hail down on Kevin.

The mutant just turned up the heat, melting the deadly shower of ice into its liquid counterpart. He stood tall and looked up at her, smirk ever present, ever taunting. The sound of ripping flesh echoed against small houses as metallic wings tore out of Kevin's back. He sprang up, wings slicing through air, bringing him face to face with Gwendolyn. He had gotten close enough to steal a brief kiss from her lips before she propelled herself backwards. He laughed in amusement, watching the apples of her cheeks crimson.

The sorceress inhaled sharply and her aura sparked in fury. "Bastard!"

"Tease." He retorted, enjoying the look of unmitigated disbelief and loathing she shot him.

_It was a strange, destructive dance they performed. A necessity when social obligations conflicted with personal wants._

Everything about Kevin screamed of danger, of brutality, of raw, uncontrollable power. Her aura crackled like mad at the proximity of such immeasurable strength, or rather the _lack_ thereof. He could have torn her apart. It would be easy, like ripping the wings off a butterfly.

But he didn't.

Shortly after they exchanged a series of attacks interspersed with taunts of the double entendre variety, he had wrestled her to the ground. She glared up at him, trying to kick herself free but finding she lacked the leverage to do so.

"Yield." Kevin commanded, voice laced with authority, malice and a manic glee.

_She needed to justify her desires._

"I yield." She declared and ceased her struggling. Drawing a deep breath to steady her wildly pounding heart, the sorceress stared into Kevin's eyes and asked "What do you want?"

A feral grin spread across his lips as he leaned in closer, "You know what I want."

He wanted her to willingly give herself to him.

She swallowed thickly before whispering, "I know, I want it too."

"_To the victor goes the spoils."_


	2. To Grandmother's House

**Author's Note:**

This alternate universe drabble is the result of a couple of things:

1.) "A Company of Wolves" and "Little Red Riding Hood" though I like to think it's more the former than the latter.

2.) Listening to the "Into The Woods" soundtrack far too often. I was particularly struck by the lines "Where witches, ghosts and wolves appear"

So the way this is written may slightly differ from how I normally write.

--

**To Grandmother's House**

Once upon a time, in a far off land, there lived a young woman named Gwen.

Her hair shone a brilliant red, as fiery as the passion burning within her slender frame. Her eyes were a bright emerald. They gleamed with naivety whenever her lips widened to a welcoming smile and they flashed with spite whenever she made a cutting remark.

One fine morning Gwen had been tasked to bring her grandmother a basket laden with an assortment of dried meat, preserved jams and freshly baked bread. It was a duty she did not begrudge for the young woman enjoyed exploring the nearby woods where her grandmother lived. Especially ever since she found a four-legged companion nearly five summers ago.

She travelled down the dirt road towards the forest, enjoying the wind that ran its fingers through her sun-kissed hair. The basket swung enticingly from the crook of her bare, slender arm, but young Gwen had no need to worry about the gift for her grandmother. Her delicate form belied an unusual strength that many have come to discover the _hard_ way.

Where the forest began, the young girl came upon a face unfamiliar to her. His flaxen hair, radiant as gold, was combed smoothly back, save for a strand that curled perfectly down to his brows. His eyes were glossy sapphire. They glimmered when his sights fell upon the young woman approaching him and his lips curled into a disarming smile.

Gwen's cheeks tinged pink at the young man's attention but she quickly gathered her composure and ventured closer.

"Good day, young miss." He bowed.

"Good day, sir." She nodded in return.

He introduced himself as a hunter, "I am known as Morningstar."

And she returned the favor, "I'm Gwen."

"Where are you off to with such a heavy load?"

"I'm taking these to my grandma." The young woman explained.

"Would you like me to escort you to your grandmother's? The woods can be confusing and dangerous."

Gwen declined his offer. Over ten seasons she had been bringing her grandmother these baskets. The young lady knew the woods and its inhabitants far better than the unfamiliar hunter would, but she was too polite to correct him.

"If you are certain, young miss." The hunter smiled once again.

"My grandma lives at the end of this path. So long as I don't stray from it, I'll be fine." She gestured to the trail where but a few stray blades of grass struggled to grow.

Morningstar eyed the road uncertainly, "If you run into any wolves, let me know."

Gwen didn't allow herself to make any promises, instead she waved goodbye. The wolves in the forest knew well enough to avoid where humans tread, save for one solitary wolf. But that one was special and Gwen would do everything she could to keep him safe. Without a second glance at the hunter, she started down the path leading to her grandmother's house.

How would she know the path would lead danger towards her?

The delicious aroma wafting from her basket drew out all sorts of woodland creatures. She delighted at the rabbits playfully skipping about and the harmony of the birds singing up in the canopy of leaves. A fawn and its mother peeked shyly from the trees and Gwen broke off a small chunk of bread and tossed it towards the pair.

She scanned the forest, waiting for a jet-black blur to appear from the underbrush. When she had been younger, she came across a young, injured wolf. Without thinking about the dangers of her actions, Gwen brought the wounded animal to her grandmother's along with the basket.

It wasn't an easy task as the wolf snapped and snarled and clawed and generally made things difficult for the young girl. She held fast, understanding that the poor thing was just frightened and wary of humans. Eventually she reached her grandmother's and together they nursed it back to health.

Ever since then, the wolf would seek Gwen out whenever she came to visit her grandmother. The young woman never needed to wait long for her furry friend to meet her but today was proving to be the exception. Still, she waited by the path, playing with the occasional squirrel that scampered close or the rare sparrow that rested on her basket.

Everything stilled when a figure emerged from the shadows of the forest. It was another young man, and like the hunter, Gwen had never seen him before. His hair was deepest obsidian, as if the very shadows he had appeared from framed his chiseled features. His eyes were dark, unpolished amber. Intense and focused on her every move, they seemed to glow with a ferocity that Gwen found unnerving but strangely familiar.

He stepped forward and a grin spread across his face.

She stood her ground, unaffected by his approach and smiled brightly, "Good day, sir."

"G-good day." He stammered, as if unaccustomed to hearing his own voice. He opened his mouth but quickly decided against speaking only to second guess himself and make another attempt, which he would change his mind about.

Gwen chuckled before stating "Yes, you can have some food if you're hungry. I'm on my way to my grandma's. No, I don't need someone to escort me. And if you follow the path that way you'll get to the entrance of the forest."

The stranger blinked before sheepishly laughing, "Actually, I was going to introduce myself."

"Oh." Gwen found herself blushing in embarrassment and offered her free hand, "Um, I apologize for being so presumptuous. I'm Gwen."

"Kevin." He smiled, accepting the proffered limb.

At the touch of his hand, Gwen felt the inexplicable sensation of déjà vu wash over her. She stared deeply into his eyes, trying not to let him know of the strange notions she had in her head.

_I feel like I know you._ Was what she _wanted_ to say.

"It's nice to meet you." Was what she actually _said_.

"It's nice to meet you, too." He gave her hand a reassuring squeeze and for a moment Gwen liked having her hand held by the unusually familiar young man.

The longer they stared at each other, the warmer Gwen's face became until she pulled away and excused herself. "I should get going now, m-mustn't keep grandma waiting."

She ran the rest of the way to her grandmother's.

Having met Kevin, Gwen was experiencing a strange jumble of confusing emotions and needed someone to help clear her mind. Granted her paternal grandmother wasn't the best choice when it comes to being the voice of reason, but the young woman was desperate.

She arrived at the small cottage, out of breath and gasping for air. Leaning against the door to steady her breathing, Gwen was surprised to feel the wood slipping away from her hand. She looked up and found her grandmother staring eerily at her.

"Gwen, sweetie, come in, come in! And I see you brought me a little something, oh that is just so darling of you." She squealed and promptly pulled her granddaughter into the cottage.

The young woman had the basket nearly ripped off her arm before being ushered to an oversized plush cushion. "Grandma, can, that is, could we talk?"

"Of course, sweetie. Tell Grandma Verdona what's on your mind." The elderly woman batted her lashes as she plopped down on an overstuffed recliner and set the basket of food on her lap.

Gwen told her grandmother of the hunter she had met, how strange it was that of all the creatures in the forest he was so concerned about wolves.

"I can understand why you'd be worried about that man." Verdona nodded darkly as she polished off the candied plums. "With a name like _Morningstar_ it's a wonder he even shows his face."

Gwen was not surprised that her grandmother completely missed her point. "But that's not what I wanted to talk to you about."

The young woman bit her lip nervously before telling Verdona about the second young man. She confided about the nagging sensation that she knew him, but she swore she had never laid eyes on him until that moment. "When we touched, it was like I've held his hand before. And the way he _looked_ at me, Grandma. It was all so very-"

"Wonderful? Exciting? The best thing you could ever have imagined? Tell me if I'm getting warm, sweetie." The elderly woman seemed unperturbed by the abject disbelief on her granddaughter's face.

"N-no! It wasn't anything like that!"

"Oh so it was horrible? Disgusting? Makes you want to crawl under a rock and die?"

"_No_! It was, was, oh I don't know."

"You're going to have to give me more to work with, Gwen." Verdona wagged a finger at her granddaughter. "No matter, sweetie, just remember: Fear not the wolfen but the wolf within."

With that vaguely sage advice, Gwen bade her grandmother farewell.

Dusk had begun to settle across the land, what few shafts of light that managed to pierce the canopy of trees slowly began to dim. However, Gwen wasn't worried about the darkness that would soon befall the forest. Her mind was too preoccupied by the events of the day, particularly her encounter with the dark-haired young man.

A low growl cut into her thoughts and Gwen turned to find it was her friend the wolf. She brightened and reached out to give him an affectionate pat. Gwen was surprised when he shied away from her touch and chose instead to turn his back to her with a huff.

The young woman canted her head, arms akimbo in disbelief. "Are you mad at me?"

The wolf glanced at her and snorted in confirmation.

Gwen tried to suppress the smile cracking across her face. "Is this because I didn't wait for you on the path before going to Grandma's?"

He whined softly before pressing himself flat on the ground. Gwen sat down next to him, legs stretched out as she rested on the palm of her hands.

"It wasn't because I didn't want to go with you. There was just this young man I met." And she told the sulking wolf about Kevin. She expressed the same sentiments she had made with her grandmother and the animal simply whined and laid his head in her lap in response. Scratching gently at his ear, Gwen suddenly remembered the man she first met.

"You should tell your pack to be extra careful for a while. There's a new hunter in the woods."

The wolf looked up at her as if it was no concern to him. Until she uttered his name. He sprang to his feet, ears pressed flat against his head and fangs bared. He snarled at her before dashing down the path towards Verdona's cottage.

Gwen had been frightened by her friend's reaction, but the moment the wolf set off towards her grandmother she took chase. With the daylight fading away into evening shadows, Gwen found a sense of dread growing in the pit of her stomach.

She quickened her pace and eventually arrived at the small cottage. The last rays of sun shone upon the path, revealing tracks both human and wolf leading to the door left ajar.

A scream pierced the forest air.

"Grandma!" the young woman cried out in alarm and dashed in.

Inside, Gwen found the wolf, poised to attack. But his target was neither Gwen who was standing at the doorway, of Verdona who was trapped beneath a net. No, his hate-filled glare was directed at the hunter, Morningstar.

"Struggle all you want, you witch. That net's made of wizard's bane." The blonde sneered.

"Wizard's bane, eh? Most impressive. I mean for a steward of that fifth-rate slipshod Hex." Verdona cackled. "But wizard's bane will do little against an extra pair of hands, won't it dearie?" She grinned and turned towards the snarling wolf.

Gwen watched in utter amazement as the wolf's form began to elongate and rise on his hind legs. The sickening sound of limbs snapping and reshaping echoed in the small cottage. Before long, the dark-furred wolf became the dark-haired man known as Kevin.

"So the curse _has_ been broken." Morningstar looked impressed.

"That's not all that's about to be broken." Kevin snarled before lunging at the hunter.

"Oy, wolf! I meant for you to get me of this net first!" Verdona snapped before noticing her granddaughter. "Gwen, sweetie, get me out of here."

Morningstar spied the young woman from the corner of his eye and after narrowly dodging a bone-crushing blow, he dashed up to Gwen. Kevin charged after the hunter but the blonde go to Gwen first. He grabbed her by the wrist and viciously twisted it against her back as he stepped behind her.

She let out a gasp of pain, wisely keeping still lest she wanted to break her arm. The cool of steel licked at her neck as Morningstar held a knife to her throat.

"Step away from the hag or the pretty girl dies." The hunter warned with mad delight.

"Let her go." Kevin glowered, instinctively baring his teeth.

"I said _step away from the hag_." He pressed the edge of the blade against Gwen's skin until he drew a pin-prick of blood.

Kevin shook in rage but did as he was told.

"Good boy." The blonde chuckled and slowly forced Gwen forward until they stood directly above Verdona.

"Why are you doing this?" Gwen demanded.

"Why?" Morningstar shook his head in amusement, "Power of course. Hex promised unimaginable power to anyone who could kill the only witch capable of breaking the spell on the cursed wolf. And I've spent a long time hunting you down."

Verdona quirked an unimpressed brow. "Your parents should have named you _Dim_star if you actually believed a word that lying sack of slime makes."

"You shut your mouth, witch!" Morningstar hissed and gave the elderly woman a sharp kick to her ribs.

"Grandma!" Gwen gasped. It was about time the hunter learned that Gwen's delicate frame belied an unusual strength.

Verdona looked up from under the net and grinned when she saw that "It's over."

"What are you yammering on about you old haaaaaaaaugh!" He screamed as lightning burst from the roof and struck him. His grip fell slack and the knife slid from his hand to clatter noisily to the floor.

Kevin took this opportunity to tackle the hunter before proceeding to bash his head into a bloody pulp. He would have continued pummeling the blonde had Gwen not embraced him from behind.

"That's enough," She whispered.

"He hurt you." He growled, one fist still poised to strike the unrecognizable Morningstar.

"Yes, he did, but I'm fine." She smiled, "Besides, Grandma wants a turn at him for calling her old."

"I am many things but I am most certainly _not_ old!" The menace in Verdona's voice was enough to convince Kevin to distance himself from the hunter. "Now, why don't the two wait in the kitchen while I deal with Dimstar."

She motioned them to leave, which Gwen and Kevin did without question.

Once alone, Gwen found that she had so many questions to ask Kevin. How did he become cursed? Why had he been cursed? When did his grandmother break the curse? Had he always been able to change forms? And ad nauseam.

But as they sat down beside each other, her mind went completely blank. She did nothing but stare at him, her mind comparing the similarities between Kevin's human face and his wolfen one. The hue of his hair, the fierce expression, the wolfish grin, but it was his eyes.

How could Gwen have _not _recognized those intense, smoldering eyes?

"Like what you see?" He grinned.

She blinked, crimson spreading across her face like wildfire. "Y-yes, I mean no! I mean, that is to say..." she stammered.

He laughed, "I know, I was pretty much like that when Verdona broke half of the curse yesterday. I mean, after five years I had almost forgotten what I really looked like."

"What do you mean by half of the curse?"

Before Kevin could explain, Verdona burst in, wiping off green slime onto her frock. "It's getting late, Kevin escort my granddaughter home. And I mean _all the way home_."

Kevin frowned, "You know I can't leave the forest without breaking the other half of the curse."

The old woman threw her hands up into the air, "You mean she hasn't kissed you yet?"

Both Gwen and Kevin turned beet red.

"K-kiss?" Gwen squeaked.

"Yes, a kiss of love is one of the most _basic_ counteragents against a curse. Has everything I've taught you simply gone in one ear and out the other, sweetie?" she sighed.

"Was _that_ why you told me you couldn't do it?" Kevin looked strangely relieved.

Verdona didn't take offense, "Of course, dearie. Now go on, Gwen. Kiss Kevin so I can be rid of you both for the evening. I need my alone time."

The young man and the young woman stared at each other, cheeks burning and hearts threatening to burst. Gwen took the initiative and leaned forward, slowly raising her lips to Kevin's cheek.

"You're off the mark, Gwen." Her grandmother remarked, matter-of-factly. "It has to be on the lips."

And before anyone could protest, Verdona pushed the two together, causing their lips to meet.

The woods were suddenly aglow as a pillar of light reached up to the night sky.

"Curse broken," Verdona clapped and promptly shoved the two out of the cottage, "Now shoo."

With the door slamming shut behind them, Gwen and Kevin just looked at one another for a few moments. Eventually, their fingers interlaced with the other's and shy smiles graced their lips. Together they walked down the path, content to simply enjoy each other's presence as they mulled over the kiss they just had.

It was certainly not the kind of kiss either of them ever pictured having, but they both agreed it would not be the last they'd share.

--

**Other stuff:**

Feel free to PM me suggestions on drabble-topics and their respective Gwevin pairings (GwendolynxKevin11k, AlienForce Gwein, and Mutant!KevinxGwen). I can't guarantee I'll write it but if I do, I'll be sure to credit the request to you.


	3. Believing

**Author's Note:**

Just another little drabble set after Ben 10 but before Alien Force.

--

The clocks ticked silently into the night, their faces unmoving yet ever watchful of their hands at the witching hour. The household slept as one of the dead, neither the rustling of sheets nor the resonance of snores disturbed the silence. Save, that is, for one individual.

For the sake of her parent's peace of mind, Gwen had feigned sleep when they peeked into her room hours past. And so she continued this convincing charade well into betwixt of day and night. It was then that she rose from her bed, quickly slipping into clothes that would shelter her well from the evening's chill.

The window leading outside quietly slid open and Gwen slipped out of her home unnoticed.

Her neighborhood, the quintessential image of suburbia, looked different at night. The shadows seemed longer, darker, creating an abyss that threatened to pull Gwen in if she drew too close. The white picket fences now appeared as the lower half of razor-sharp teeth simply biding their time for their upper partner to clamp down.

She shivered as she walked down the deserted sidewalk, past lampposts that hummed from the electricity flowing through their narrow bodies, her shoe-clad feet making no sound. Gwen did not hurry. Her pace was relaxed, as if time meant nothing.

Perhaps it didn't.

She knew he'd be there. He had promised he'd be there.

It didn't matter if she had reason to trust him or if he had proven himself in any way. He even insisted that he was incapable of keeping his word and warned her of his unreliable nature. She still believed in him. She just wanted to.

It was as simple as that.

A grunt greeted her as she reached the peak of the dark, grassy knoll. She smiled before seating herself on the ground beside the hulking figure that was Kevin.

"Cold out tonight. Want me to light a fire?" The older boy offered, pyronite arm igniting.

"No, it's fine." She shook her head, opting to draw her coat tighter around her. "The offer still stands, Kevin. Just so you know."

He blinked, all three of his eyes, and turned warily at the young girl. "What offer?"

"The one Ben made when we first met you in New York." Gwen replied matter-of-factly.

The mutant canted his head, ridges knitting together where brows would have been. "You mean after all the shit I did like trying to waste you, you still want me to join up with you?"

The young girl nodded, "I may have brought up the subject with Grandpa Max and Ben a few times and they seemed to believe you deserve a second chance. And I'm sure Grandpa has some alien friends who could maybe do something about your problem."

She sounded so hopeful and her eyes shone brightly, Kevin almost, _almost_, wanted to believe her. But the doubt and the anger and the hatred festering in him from all those years wouldn't allow him.

"Why would you want me around?" he snarled, unable to picture himself in such a warm, caring environment. He had tried, countless times to pretend he was normal and still had a family, a mother who would hold him gently but protectively and a father who would teach him, guide him. But the vision would last barely a second before his form shifted and grew into the massive, mutated monster he was now. And his mother would stare up at him in wide-eyed terror as his father pulled her away to run.

"Why wouldn't we?" She cocked her head, gaze unwavering.

Kevin looked at her in disbelief, "I don't know, because maybe I could just be pretending to be nice to you so I could gain your trust and then use you to get revenge on Ben? Maybe because I've killed before, and I _enjoyed_ every minute of it."

"So why haven't you?" she asked patiently. "You've been out of the null void for almost two years, so why haven't you gotten revenge or gone on a massive, mindless rampage?"

Why? Kevin thought it was obvious. _Because of you._

But the words wouldn't form, let alone make themselves heard. How could he tell her that if she hadn't been the first familiar face he encountered, he may very well have done everything he had set out to do?

"I don't have to answer that." Kevin muttered, turning away so he wouldn't have to see the disappointment in her eyes.

Gwen sighed, turning her gaze heavenwards as she shivered in the cold night air.

He draped a furred arm hesitantly over her shoulders and she leaned her head against him, her own slim hand resting tenderly atop his. The touch was familiar but not comforting to Kevin. If any, it pointed out to him of what could have been had things been different.

If his parents had been more understanding of his gift, if the world had not been so quick to turn its back on him, if he had been someone else altogether then maybe. Just maybe he could bring himself to believe her.

But he wasn't. He was Kevin Levin and no amount of wishing or hoping would ever change that fact.

"I'm sorry." Gwen murmured softly.

He eyed her skeptically, "For what?"

"I'm sorry that you don't seem to want a second chance." She began, "I'm sorry that you don't believe in anything but hate and pain. I'm sorry that you feel like you can't be anything else but the monster you keep making yourself out to be."

But he'd never believe her words. He was too stubborn, and prideful, and so filled with spite and malice and anger. There was so much hate knotted and twisted inside his heart and try as she might, it didn't seem like she could reach him anymore than she already had.

How could she when he didn't want to be reached in the first place?

_And I'm most sorry that you don't know how wonderful a person you could be. _Was what she truly wanted to tell him. Instead, she pulled away from him and got to her feet.

"Goodnight, Kevin." She whispered before heading back home.

At the foot of the grassy knoll, she looked back.

"Goodbye, Gwen." The wind carried his words and the young girl once again raised her eyes to the skies. No shadow flew overhead, no sudden gush of air blew past, but she knew he was gone. And somehow, she knew he wouldn't be back to see her.

But some small part of her believed it wouldn't be the last time she would see him. It didn't matter if she had no reason to think that or how unlikely the possibility was. She still believed in him. She just wanted to.

It was as simple as that.

--

_"__Come up to meet you,  
Tell you I'm sorry you don't know how lovely you are."_

- Coldplay, "The Scientist"


	4. Through The Fire

**Author's Notes**:

This is from a 50 theme Gwevin-drabble challenge I have given myself with the title being the piece's theme. The actual list of themes will probably not be seen outside of my pc. As such, any drabble based on the list will be indicated as such. Otherwise, it's just another random Gwevin drabble.

--

**Through The Fire**

Energy Dampers hummed in a steady monotone, their pitch spiking from the sporadic attempts of mana dispersal. Arcane runes etched onto the floor and each wall shone dimly, their glow fluctuating with each spell countered and contained. Whatever forces these two preventive measures couldn't manage, the morphine drip picked up the slack.

This had been the methods the Plumbers devised to keep the likes of Hex and Charmcaster under control during incarceration. Other beings, criminal aliens adept at manipulating life force, twisting and bending them to serve their own selfish purposes, had also been restrained in this manner.

Never would the Plumbers have anticipated they would be forced to use this on one of their own.

And it hurt to see her like this.

Bound and strapped down to a gurney, wrists and ankles secured tightly, emerald-eyes once bright and clear now glassy and dull. Her lids remained open but she was never truly _awake_. For the moment, Gwendolyn Tennyson was in her quiet phase. Deathly still save for the rise and fall of her chest, the only motions of her otherwise catatonic state.

Only hours ago she was in a state of frenzy where she writhed, she screamed, she raged. In a bout of fever-induced madness, she screamed out for help. But the hallucinations in her mind would not give her the privilege of being aided by anyone. And so, she had desperately screeched out spells meant to destroy things, to rend creatures limb from limb. Had it not been for the dampers and the runes, Gwendolyn might have very well leveled the entire medical wing the Plumbers had kept her in.

She had been admitted two days ago.

--

There had been a mission and the suspects in question were well known intergalactic criminals. Dangerous, powerful and as far as the general populace knew still trapped within the null void. An exchange of highly illegal elements and stolen jewels was to occur between these two. The team sent to arrest them and retrieve these items was a small unit of three, veteran plumbers who were familiar with the individuals involved.

Before they set off, their numbers grew by one. Against Ben's better judgment, an additional member was taken along, a fresh face, a promising rookie named Creed. The team would find that the criminals they were meant to apprehend had also grown by one.

But this addition was anything but a rookie. This addition was the infamous Kevin Levin.

At first, things had gone according to plan. Alan and Creed were to team up against one of the lesser threats while Gwendolyn handled the other, leaving Ben to keep Kevin occupied. The other two criminals were systematically apprehended with a null void egg.

Kevin proved to be a more difficult target. Even with the combined efforts of the veterans, the dark-haired mutant seemed unstoppable.

It was the sight of Kevin effortlessly pinning all three plumbers that prompted the rookie to use the experimental weapon he had borrowed and forgotten to return to Cooper's arsenal. It was a small handgun of sorts, meant to emit a beam that would over-stimulate an individual's energy to the point of exhaustion. Creed aimed, and fired.

The beam hit its mark and Kevin released a series of pained screams as he fell writhing to the floor. The other Plumbers got to their feet, watching in amazement at how effective the weapon proved to be.

For all of ten seconds.

Kevin's mutated DNA easily broke down the beam leaving him none the worse for wear. He set his wicked gaze at the rookie and Creed feared for his life. In his panic, the rookie switched the weapon to its maximum setting and proceeded to fire blindly.

"Creed! Stop it!" Ben yelled.

But the deed was done as beams ricocheted off the walls. Alan repelled the incoming rays with his fire and Ben done the same. It was Gwendolyn who managed to knock out the panic-stricken rookie. Just as Creed lost consciousness he fired one last time and caught the female Tennyson by surprise.

Like Kevin, she fell to the floor in agony.

Unlike Kevin, she did not display any signs of recovering. The team forgot about dark-haired criminal as they struggled to stabilize Gwendolyn's condition.

--

That had been two days ago. Two whole days with no signs of improvement.

An individual stood in the observation deck built above the room housing Gwendolyn. Her cousin Ben had never left since she had been admitted. A young, blonde man peered in quietly, his face sympathetic and concerned.

"Go home, Ben." Cooper insisted, "The doctors say there's nothing we can do but wait for the fever to run its course."

"How's Creed?" the older man asked.

"He's been to see the psychiatrists but I was informed he's planning on giving back his badge." The technician sighed. "We've told him no one blames him for what happened to Gwendolyn."

"But he doesn't believe it, does he?" Ben clenched his fists in frustration. Friendly fire was the worst for all parties involved.

"Not a word." Cooper felt he was as much to blame for the accident as Creed was. If the blonde hadn't been so eager to show off his latest projects maybe the rookie wouldn't have been so gung-ho to test any of his weapons out.

"She will make it, won't she?" Ben murmured, staring down helplessly at his cousin's body tensed with violent spasms. The speakers to the observation deck had been set to mute, there was only so much screaming and pain-racked sobs Ben could take.

Cooper kept his silence. Theoretically the gun was meant to cause an energy burn out, rendering an individual unconscious long enough to be apprehended. But with Gwendolyn being an Anodite, a species _made_ of pure energy, she risked burning out her life force. It was not something the young man wanted to personally contemplate, let alone discuss.

Outside, the halls seemed to explode in activity.

"Ben! You're gonna want to see this!" Alan burst in. The half-pyronite refused to take no for an answer as he forcibly dragged Ben towards an emergency room with Cooper following after.

"What? What is going on that is more important than Gwendolyn?" the brunette snapped angrily.

"Creed's been attacked," Alan explained quickly.

A body mangled beyond recognition was wheeled past, and if Alan hadn't told Ben of its identity, the brunette would never have known it was Creed. There were multiple fractures where the young man's arms had been, the skin on his neck was seared to a crisp, his lower extremities were torn off, and his face was little more than a mass of burnt, fused, bloodied flesh.

Cooper could taste bile rising in the back of his throat at the stench and the sight.

"Who _did_ this?" Ben demanded.

"The psychiatrist Creed was with at the time remembered seeing a blur before getting knocked out." Alan explained.

"But why attack a rookie with such violence?" It didn't make sense to the blonde since Creed was far too new to have made himself a name or any enemies. The only thing the rookie had done of note was the friendly fire.

Still, no Plumber would brutalize one of their own, especially since Ben himself had done nothing about it. Apart from Creed and the psychiatrist, the latter appearing to be more like collateral damage, there were no other reported attacks in the medical facility.

A sense of dread had begun to form in the pit of Ben's stomach. He'd been away from Gwendolyn too long and he rushed back to see his cousin. On the way he heard a series of dull thuds in a storage closet. Opening the door, out fell the bodies of Gwendolyn's attending physicians. One of them had regained his senses and in a fit of claustrophobia started to bang against any available surface in hopes of being freed.

"What's going on here!?" The brunette growled.

"K-Kevin Eleven Thousand!" the sole conscious doctor squeaked in terror.

Eyes widening in horror, Ben hurried to Gwendolyn's room. What remained of the energy dampers littered the doorway and the etched arcane runes had been scorched away. In the very center of the room stood Kevin, clutching a freed Gwendolyn against him.

--

Two days, two whole days it took Kevin to discover where the Plumbers hid the red-head. They did a fine damn job covering their tracks too, but Kevin was better. Compared to escaping the Null Void, sneaking into the medical facility was child's play.

His body understood what being hit by that beam was supposed to accomplish and he knew what kind of havoc the weapon would wreck on the female Plumber.

He knew it would hurt.

He knew it could kill her.

But it was when he saw her unmoving, bound and shackled that Kevin got completely pissed off.

The doctors had come in for a routine check up and received a swift blow rendering them unconscious. They should be grateful that Kevin was saving his rage for someone else as he unceremoniously stuffed them into a storage closet.

After locating her, the first thing he did was to make sure the dumbass that put Gwendolyn's life in danger learned _never_ to do that again. And yet Kevin found no satisfaction in pummeling the rookie into an inch of his miserable life.

It should have.

It _didn't_.

Because it didn't do shit to help Gwendolyn's condition.

Amidst the panic of having another one of their precious plumbers injured, Kevin managed to sneak back to Gwendolyn's room. He returned to find Gwendolyn in a bout of fever-induced nightmares. The sight of her normally calm, collected face crazed with fear and helplessness and pain made Kevin wish he had done more to Creed than just mangle him beyond recognition.

Hearing her screams and shrieks and watching her struggle against her bindings was unbearable for Kevin. He undid the straps and though Gwendolyn thrashed and fought him, Kevin managed to ease her into an embrace.

She snarled in his arms, seeing only the twisted, deformed phantasms that had danced before her eyes the past two days. Her nails clawed at his bare shoulders, drawing blood before her fingers clutched tightly at the leather clothing his body. She sobbed into him like a child and she begged and pleaded so desperately for him to make the hurting to stop.

"What kind of hurt is it, Gwendolyn?" he asked softly.

"I don't know," she whimpered weakly, throat completely raw from screaming. "I feel like I'm going to burst and everything's so hot."

Kevin's brows knit as he glared at the door where the doctors had entered earlier. Those retards were handling Gwendolyn's situation _wrong_. They worried that as an energy being she would burn out her life force, when all they were doing was building up an unnecessary amount of pressure.

The dark-haired man set her down on the gurney before he went about destroying the energy dampers as well as burning away the runes. With these restrictions gone, Gwendolyn instinctively began to release the pent up mana that had been boiling inside her.

The outpour of energy was too much too soon for Gwendolyn's already weakened body. The tips of her fingers felt white-hot, as the pressure inside her grew to excruciating proportions. After two full days of agonizing pain interspersed with catatonic inactivity, she was ready to simply give in and give up.

Kevin pulled her to her feet before crushing her against his chest. "You are _not_ this God damn weak!" He hissed with a strange tenderness only Gwendolyn had ever been privy to. "You are trusting and stubborn and mature and stupid and beautiful and trouble and a survivor. You're a hell of a lot more but you. Are. Not. Weak!

"Do you hear me, Gwen?" he asked desperately as he stared into the glassy, faded, green depths that had once been so bright and full of life. "You are mine and nothing of mine is ever weak."

He pressed his hand tenderly against her cheek, unwittingly absorbing the excess mana that threatened to destroy the red-head. At his prolonged touch, Gwendolyn regained lucidity.

Gwendolyn's eyes regained their clarity and she gasped when she recognized who it was that held her.

"K-Kevin?" she whispered barely audible. She tried to push herself free but found she didn't even have the strength to stand. Her heart began to pound in her chest and she knew Kevin could feel it through the fabric of his shirt.

"Told you." The dark-haired man smirked.

--

"Get away from her!" Ben yelled angrily from the doorway. "Kevin if you've hurt her I swear I'll-"

"Shut it, Benjie." Kevin glowered, "If you had kept that trigger-happy dumbass under control Gwen wouldn't be in this shit-hole you call a hospital in the first place."

"Oh that's _it_ I am going to rip you apart!" The brunette snarled.

"No more fighting!" Gwendolyn declared, erecting a barrier between the two men despite her already weakened state. The shield wavered as a dizzy spell caught her in its maw before it clamped down hard enough for her to faint.

Gwendolyn would wake up in an ordinary hospital room filled with flowers and fruit baskets and other assorted get-well gifts. The chainsaw-like snoring coming from one corner of the room made the red-head aware of her grandfather's presence.

She smiled fondly at the elderly Tennyson and tried to sit up. She found herself still sapped of strength as any sudden movement made the room spin. On the bedside table were three small boxes.

The first box was from Creed and to Gwendolyn's sadness, inside was the rookie's plumber badge and a letter profusely apologizing for the mess he had caused. Gwendolyn shook her head, making a mental note to return it to the young man. She wasn't one who bore grudges for what had obviously been an accident. Had it been intended, well, that was another thing entirely.

The second box was from her cousin and it contained an upgrade chip for her own Plumber's badge. It would serve as a portable worm hole that would return any projectile or energy aimed at her. Another mental note that she had to find a way to reassure her cousin that the gift was appreciated but also slightly unnecessary.

The third box was left unsigned, but upon opening it Gwendolyn's breath caught in her throat. Nestled in obsidian velvet was one of the stolen pieces of jewelry her team was meant to retrieve on their mission. A smile slowly made its way across her face as she closed the lid.


	5. Into The Woods

**Author's Notes:**

This is a prequel of sorts to my earlier drabble "To Grandmother's House" as requested by Chibi Hime, whose works inspired me to become a Gwevin shipper. Another drabble is in the works, set between this one and To Grandmother's House.

--

**Into The Woods**

Once upon a time, in a far off kingdom, there lived a young boy named Kevin.

His hair was deep obsidian, as dark as a bottomless abyss in the very depths of the sea. His eyes were the color of freshly tilled earth. Rich and deep and they burned with an intensity that one did not often find with someone barely beyond eleven summers. His skin was pale and his frame was slight, it was a convenient guise that masked the strange power flowing through his veins.

Few dared to cross his paths, not even the adults whom he often times stole food from. They feared him, called him a monster because he was no wizard or warlock. Kevin could not conjure up the winds or command the heavens to part. But he could hurt people when he so desired, which he often did and was quite able at that.

Only one individual ever stood up to him, another boy of the same age. His name was Morningstar.

His hair was like a field of wheat, as radiant as the sun that shone down upon the lands. His eyes were the color of the sky on a cloudless day. Bright and clear but they gleamed with a cold, calculating focus that one would often wonder what it was truly that went on in his mind. His skin was a healthy bronze and his frame was lanky, it was a clever ruse to lower one's guard around him.

Few could resist his charms, even the adults would fall prey to his wily ways and smooth tongue. They believed him gifted, wise beyond his years and a budding bard or minstrel. Morningstar could talk anyone into anything; make them believe whatever it was he wanted them to believe. But he could do little else but flee once his lies are unraveled and his claims proven false.

Only on individual never believed him outright, another boy of the same age. And yes, his name was Kevin.

The two boys shared a rivalry with each other: Ranging from the mundane, such as being the faster runner, to the dangerous, such as being the one who could fend off a wild animal when it attacked.

But the true test of their mettle came when a travelling warlock suddenly appeared in the kingdom. He presented to the royal family a challenge, one that would determine worthy warriors, hunters and knights to serve the throne. There was little else happening within the kingdom, no festivals or balls planned and certainly no war campaigns to be fought. To pass the time and stave off boredom, the king accepted the offer and decreed that all able bodied youths were to participate.

Honor, glory, fame and riches were promised to anyone who succeeded in finishing the challenge. Despite how the kingdom was abuzz with excitement, news did not spread far, if at all. No on thought it odd that only the citizens of the kingdom were aware of the competition considering the triumphant youths would be enlisted as one of the king's soldiers.

It only stood to reason that Kevin and Morningstar had joined as this was another avenue to prove one's superiority over the other.

On the day of the challenge, the two youths sized each other up along with the rest of their competition. A robed man whose skin was painted a ghostly shade of white stood before the crowd. He was the warlock, the very same one who presented the notion to the king and had handled all the necessary preparation.

He revealed that the challenge was a sort of scavenger hunt. He warned them that while it sounded quite simple, there were traps and distractions laid out to whittle the unworthy. The list of objects was strange, roots and petals, insect wings and scales, teeth and fur and a blood-stained stone. Kevin and Morningstar were beginning to suspect there was more to this than the robed man was letting on but the prizes at stake were far too rich to pass up.

The trials indeed proved to be difficult and wrought with danger. The roots and petals were from plants that grew high up in the nearest mountain and the journey took at least two days. Feral beasts roamed the base and the elements were cruel to those who sought to grace the mountain's peak with their presence.

The insect wings and scales belonged to those creatures that lived in the murky swamps on the kingdom's outskirts. Poisonous serpents and flora lurked in the shadows and the air was thick with noxious haze. And every so often, lightning would strike through the thick canopy of the mangroves and send some poor, hapless soul to a charred death.

The teeth and fur perhaps were the easiest to find. Find being the operative word as one was also likely to find themselves victim to the very same items. Because more often than not, the teeth and fur were still attached to a living carnivore. Unless one could convince said carnivore _not_ to devour or even maul them, well, it was easily understandable why the last item needed would be a blood-stained stone.

The blood in itself needn't be special but the stone certainly did. Many contenders had long given up, or were disqualified due to no longer being alive, but a handful still persisted. The rock in question was a gem, the sort that could only be found in a cave that was rumored to be guarded by a dragon, or a manticore, or some other dangerous beast of lore.

Kevin need only slip past the creature that lurked within the cave's interior and retrieve the item to best Morningstar. The blonde boy hadn't yet arrived as even a tongue as gifted as his couldn't convince an animal not to devour him. At least not as quickly as Kevin's abilities proved to be.

The dark-haired boy didn't know it, but he was the _first_ among the contenders to arrive with all the items listed. Though he wouldn't be surprised if he was told, he always did have a high regard for himself. To his amazement, there was no legendary monster living within the cave and Kevin thought it was about time the fates eased up on him.

He retrieved the stone and reopening one of his wounds, dripped blood onto its glittering surface. Suddenly a figure loomed behind him and Kevin spun around, fingers crackling to defend himself for the nth time since this challenge began.

It was the robed warlock. He studied Kevin and when he noticed the small satchel at the boy's hip he grinned eerily. "Do you have everything, boy?"

Kevin narrowed his eyes, not liking the look on the older man's face. "Yes, I do. Why?"

"Because," the warlock tapped his painted jaw with a yellowed nail, "If you don't, then this is going to hurt quite a bit more than it would." And he proceeded to chant in a tongue no one in the kingdom was likely to know.

Kevin did not want to wait to find out what it was the man was doing. Electricity shot out from his finger tips, aimed directly for the warlocks' head. But the man's staff easily absorbed it and suddenly a ring of light surrounded Kevin.

The boy felt pain like nothing he had ever experienced before. It came from his very marrows and it snapped and twisted and spread like wildfire throughout his body. His limbs began to shift, joints collapsing onto itself only to be reshaped into something else entirely. Parts of him elongated while others shrank and just where his spine ended, he felt the agonizing sensation of bones growing and breaking through skin.

When the entire ordeal was over, Kevin lay limp, exhausted and panting heavily. His body was raw and sensitive, completely aware of the cold dampness and rocky surface of the cave floor. He could smell his sweat and blood mingling with wet fur and was that fear?

He tried to rise and found himself unable to stand upright. Something about his joints made staying on all fours more comfortable. His ears twitched, picking up several strings of expletives, many of them he understood and had used more than once.

"Another failure!" The warlock yelled hotly, "Why is there no one strong enough to be the host?"

Kevin wanted to demand what was going on, but rather than words out emerged snarls. Rather than a mouth, it was a muzzle that hung agape.

"Cursed animals, that's all I ever seem to get!" The robed figure ranted. "I suppose a cursed wolf is the best I've come up with, it's certainly far better than a cursed magpie."

Kevin detected a new scent in the air. It was familiar and he was certain he did not like it anymore than he did the robed figure that now seemed so much larger than it had before. He took another deep breath and he grinned as much as a wolf's snout would allow him.

_Morningstar._

It may have been petty of him, but Kevin wanted someone else to suffer the same fate that had befallen him. What better person to wish this upon than his detested rival? While Kevin's powers had been able to deter wild creatures from devouring him, Morningstar's innate gift of gab managed to dissuade the warlock from dooming him to the same fate as the wolf.

"I could help you in your search," Morningstar offered, "Surely someone capable of breaking this curse you've placed is strong enough to be the host?"

The warlock mulled over this suggestion, "You could be onto something. And you'd be far easier to manage than my wretched ingrate of a niece. Fine, you'll do. Now, what to do with _you_." He set his gaze onto Kevin's limping form.

Another grin and with a wave of his staff, a gust of wind swept into the cave and lifted Kevin into its feathery embrace. He yelped out, snarling and barking as he was carried over great distances beyond the kingdom he had lived in. He was finally dropped into far-reaching woodland, crashing painfully through trees whose branches served to break more than his fall.

Kevin lay on the grassy ground, angry, confused and hurt. The desire for revenge was a tempting reason to pull himself together, to heal and regain his strength. But he was trapped in a wolf's body (a pup's at that!) and he hadn't the faintest clue how to undo the curse or if there was a way to break it at all. He no longer had his powers, for all he knew he was dying.

And this made him very angry.

He heard footsteps and froze. What if it was that warlock or Morningstar? But the figure that came into view was a young girl who was one year younger than Kevin. Her eyes, green and vibrant, studied his wounded form as she tucked a strand of sun-kissed hair behind her ear.

"Easy boy, easy now." She cooed, slender arms wrapping around his torso while a heavy-laden basket hung from the crook of her elbow.

Kevin's eyes widened as he bared his fangs, _Leave me alone!_

He wanted to yell and curse and scream profanities that would make the girl drop him and run away. But he could only articulate angry growls and hostile snarls. He struggled despite the pain moving involved as his claws dug into her soft flesh and marred her skin with streaks of bright red. He felt her tense and wince but she refused to release him as she carried him all the way to a small cottage in the heart of the woods.

"Grandma Verdona!" The young girl called out and the door opened.

An elderly woman appeared in the doorway and she practically lit up at the sight of the red-haired girl holding a growling wolf-pup. "Why Gwen, I know I told you I wanted something fresher this time but I didn't think you'd go and get me a wolf! A rabbit or a blue jay would have been just fine."

Kevin yelped and began his struggling anew; he had no intentions of being _eaten_.

"Very funny, grandma." Gwen stated flatly.

"Who said I was teasing?" Verdona canted her head, grinning a most predatory grin. "Come on in child, and let's have a look at that scraggly little mutt."

Inside the cottage, the two bathed and dressed Kevin's wounds. The Verdona woman seemed flippant about the whole matter, choosing to bark out orders to the young girl. Gwen didn't seem to mind as she fussed over Kevin, and he in turn found he didn't quite so begrudge the attention or affection.

It was all quite strange to him, being fawned over and treated so nicely. They weren't really just fattening him, were they? His ears pressed flat on his head, _I'm not going to let you eat me so easily!_

Verdona quirked a brow and gave the wolf an enigmatic smile, as if she knew something no one else did.

"There, all patched up." Gwen smiled, tenderly stroking the top of Kevin's head, "Grandma, could he stay here until he's better? I'll come by more often if you say yes."

"I don't know Gwen, he's a wild animal and wouldn't that make him dangerous to me?" the elderly woman smirked.

Gwen stared at her grandmother; there was no sign of amusement in those green eyes. "Grandma."

Verdona laughed, "Oh alright sweetie, you know how I can't say no to my favorite granddaughter."

"I'm your _only_ granddaughter." She rolled her eyes.

"In that case you best be getting along home, sweetie. It'll be dark soon and I wouldn't want your parents to worry."

Gwen seemed reluctant as she glanced back down at Kevin. She gave him a reassuring smile and another pat on the head, "Grandma's really nice if you don't make her mad. I'll come by tomorrow and see if you're well enough and then we can look for your pack."

Kevin whined; he didn't like the idea of being left all alone with the elderly woman who keeps looking at him strangely. But his tail thumped weakly and his tongue lolled out in contentment as Gwen scratched him behind his ears.

When the young girl had left, Verdona approached Kevin. The wolf bared his fangs and tried to make himself appear menacing.

"You really should listen to my granddaughter's advice about not making me mad, mutt." She leered and snapped her fingers for emphasis.

Kevin was suddenly held aloft by an unseen force and his paws flailed about.

"I know what you really are, boy. And if you ever want to return to your real form, I suggest you drop the attitude."

Wolfen eyes widened in surprise and he barked, _How did you know?_

"Please, I knew it the moment I laid eyes on you. You have no idea how lucky you are that my granddaughter found you. She's marked you as her charge and the creatures in the forest will recognize that so you needn't worry about surviving any attacks from the other wolves. Bears however, they may still take a swing at you but only if you're stupid enough to warrant it.

"Are you a stupid boy? Well you must be; falling under a curse doesn't take much smarts." She laughed.

_Shut up, you don't know anything about me or how I got this way!_ Kevin glowered.

"My, my, stupid _and_ rude? Not a very good combination, it's a wonder you haven't been turned into a slug. But I suppose you'll make a fine guardian for Gwen, you'd better keep her safe if you ever want to break the curse." Verdona wagged a knowing finger.

At the mention of breaking the curse, Kevin blinked. _There's a way to break the curse?_

"Of course! There's always a way to break a curse, I thought every simpleton knew that. Oh wait, you must have grown up in a pitiful land without a proper wizard or sorceress. No wonder you're so ignorant." She shook her head in pity.

_How do I break the curse?!_ Kevin snapped angrily, if he had been in his normal form he wouldn't have to take such insults. Especially not from some gray-haired, aging woman.

"Aww, does the widdle puppy snookums wants to be his big bad self again?" Verdona teased, roughly patting the top of Kevin's head, "Curse breaking isn't as easy as it sounds kiddo. If it was, even the most slipshod of apprentices could be considered grand sorcerers. Your curse is especially complicated.

"Not very well crafted, but complicated. And I believe I recognize the slapdash execution, Hex most likely. A curse within a curse, he really should have gone with a third degree. Oh, but what's the point in explaining this to someone who was stupid enough to fall for that fifth-rate hack?"

Kevin thrashed about, trying to break himself free to show Verdona that he was not someone to insult. But the elderly woman only found it amusing, "At least you have spunk, boy. Yes, you will make for an excellent familiar to my granddaughter. Goodness knows the other children in that nauseatingly dull town are substandard companions for a budding sorceress. What do you say, boy? You watch over my niece while she's in the woods and I'll break one of the curses."

_Just one?_ Kevin demanded.

"I'd break them both but for all my powers I can't break the other curse. And I'm not telling you why because secrecy is a necessary criterion for the other curse to be broken."

_I don't see why, but fine._ He grumbled.

"Good, now you're sleeping outside tonight. Who knows what filthy vermin is living in that mess you call a coat of fur." And with that, Kevin was half-dropped, half-tossed outside.


	6. Traps

**Author's Notes:**

This is another one from the 50 theme Gwevin drabble challenge, whether or not I really captured the essence of the theme I'm not really sure. This is set during the Ben 10k universe, no Ken or Devlin and with some hints of Alien Force occurring in the past. There are times I want to write something utterly ridiculous and nonsensical and other times I want to write an attempt at something profound and meaningful. What moment was I in when I wrote this? Just read and you'll find out.

--

**Traps**

Seasoned criminals knew how to keep a low profile and refrained from bragging. Loose lips often meant novices, rookies with something to prove to the rest of the underworld. The talented ones would come to learn how to discern between a genuine client and an undercover cop. Those who didn't come up to snuff, well, they were snuffed out quickly or brought to justice. In certain cases, those lacking the necessary skills were offered deals in exchange for freedom or a lighter sentence or protection.

Argit was never thought of as one of the best dealers but he was never considered to be at the very bottom of the barrel either. In the police's best assumption he was somewhere in the lower tier but definitely a couple of levels above the lowest rank.

So the information he provided rarely merited genuine concern or attention. His leads and his tips usually resulted in a dead end, or was common knowledge _everyone_ knew about it already, or the occasional decoy.

But this time?

This time things seemed different.

For one, the rodent-like dealer had willingly approached the police as opposed to being caught in the middle of a deal that went belly up. For two, Argit specifically mentioned his bit of news would interest the Plumbers. And for three, he declared that he _needed_ to speak with one particular agent, the female Tennyson.

Gwendolyn had never liked the rodent-like dealer, not then when she was fifteen and not now over ten years later. It wasn't just because Argit had sent her and her team on one too many wild goose chases nor was it because she had been double crossed by him more than once. It was mainly because seeing the mutant brought back memories.

Some pleasant, some painful.

The Plumber made her way down the corridor leading to the safe room, tucking a strand of her short red hair behind her ear. She noted with surprise at the level of security that was taken for Argit's sake, they usually left the dealer in an ordinary police precinct's interrogation room. Whatever bit of information he had it better be worth the trouble. _Otherwise_, Gwendolyn thought and allowed herself to smirk in perfect mimicry of a certain dark-haired criminal currently gallivanting across the universe.

Her face donned a careful mask before she entered the room and found Argit seated on a cushioned chair, arms folded behind his head, while his feet rested atop a table.

"Heeey, Gwenny." The rodent-like mutant greeted with a familiarity he wasn't privileged with.

Gwendolyn fought back the urge to smack him. Argit didn't realize he risked bodily harm if he pressed his luck, if anything the mutant should be honored. It took a lot to provoke the female Tennyson into violence.

It was another reason why she avoided dealing with him. Gwendolyn thought it best to simply get this over and done with. "I was told you knew something that might interest the Plumbers and me in particular."

"That's right," Argit nodded coolly, "I happen to know that a close friend of mine and a _special _friend of yours," his brows waggled and he flashed yellowed teeth at the minute twitch of an emerald eye, "Is going to be at The Ruins tomorrow night. There's a deal going down in one of the buildings, a canister of Element X in exchange for a couple of alien prisoners. Those saps are gonna have their DNA absorbed before they get off'ed, including the chump who wants Element X."

"And what makes you think I'm buying your story?" Gwendolyn asked, her blank expression completely masking the anxiety slowly brewing inside her. "Why should I even believe you, a less than reliable source of information?"

Argit frowned, "I know some of the stuff I tell you don't pan out so good, and I ain't exactly a big shot. But I don't mess around when it comes to Kevin 11,000. The guy's a psycho," He leaned forward, resting on his elbows to leer at Gwendolyn, "But I don't gotta tell _you_ that, huh?"

"We'll check your information and if it proves accurate the Plumbers will safeguard you for an indeterminate duration of time." If she spoke any colder, frost would form on her lips. "In the meantime, you shall be kept here in the safe house."

Gwendolyn rose and headed for the exit.

The dealer grinned before nonchalantly asking "Ain't you ever wonder how I've managed to stay alive despite my screw ups? It all comes down to making people think you don't know something when you really do."

--

A derelict apartment building, the last of what had been a series, struggled to stand overlooking the remnants of what was once a peaceful suburb. Most of its upper floors had crumbled, the foundation eaten away by time and neglect. It teetered dangerously over the rest of the abandoned neighborhood as if in denial of its current state of disrepair. Declared a hazard and unfit to be lived in, the small portion of real estate had been cordoned off and scheduled for demolition.

In half a decade's time.

At present, the area was dubbed "The Ruins." Let it be known that the individual responsible for this ridiculously uncreative moniker was shot in the leg. Several times.

The name had its charm so it stuck. Either that or no one wanted to risk getting shot because the new target might be a vital organ this time around. In any case, the neighborhood got its new name and had a new purpose on the planet Earth.

Namely as the meeting ground for intergalactic smugglers or black market dealers and the occasional police busts and sting operations. It was for the latter that Gwendolyn Tennyson was at The Ruins that evening, carefully scouting her surroundings for the location Argit had mentioned without great detail.

She had sensed several presences lurking amongst the toppled buildings. But they did not project the kind of danger she couldn't handle with the right spell or properly aimed blast. So far, Argit's claim had been like all his others: A waste of time.

But the heavy sense of dread that sat in the pit of her stomach and refused to go away indicated otherwise. And it changed from the tiny, nagging voice in the back of her mind to an all-out screaming fit when she came upon the tallest structure. Something about the apartment building reminded the red-head of the man whom she was to apprehend.

It was unstable, dangerous, and twisted. But hadn't it been amazing, strong and beautiful not so long ago?

Hadn't _he_?

A sharp intake of air and Gwendolyn took to the sky. She peered through the gaps in between the boarded up the windows, her eyes straining to pierce through the darkness. She knew she'd never be able to see anything from out here and knew that inside a trap awaited her.

Steeling herself, the red-head silently entered the apartment building. Her boots never touched the ground as she remained hovering a few inches off the ground. Her ears picked up sounds, a combination of vermin scampering and tiny wings beating.

As she went higher up the building, Gwendolyn could make out a soft humming. The tune was from a song she hadn't heard since she was fifteen. It made her feel strangely nostalgic. When words replaced the melody, she bit back a gasp for she recognized the voice.

It was deeply confident, powerfully resonant and achingly familiar.

And she hears a series of clicks, like tumblers in a lock turning, lifting, snapping into place from the twist of a key. But there is nothing in the darkness, nothing tangible at least. Perhaps it was the residue of some long forgotten nightmare going bump in the night, or the skittish treads of multi-limbed daydreams playing across the walls.

Gwendolyn became aware of flaking plaster and she propels herself away just as the ceiling cracks and comes crashing down where she had been. Her back is suddenly against a chest, broad and muscular and clad in slick leather. She whips around, only to have strong arms wind tight around her.

"About time you showed up," Kevin purred into her ear. "I was beginning to think you didn't get my message."

"What do you want?" She hissed.

"And what makes you think I didn't just want to spend some quality time with my girl?" He smirked, pinning her against a wall as one arm shifted to cradle the curve of her rump.

"Who said I was still your girl?" Gwendolyn snarled as she pushed up against Kevin.

"Now don't be like that, babe. You still feel something for me, why else would you come all the way to this dump just because that trash Argit told you I'd be here?" Kevin rested his forehead against Gwendolyn's, his dark hair brushing against her face. He reached for the Null Void Egg strapped to her belt, casually crushing the device with his bare hands. "Besides, it's not like you didn't know you were walking into a trap."

The red-head grit her teeth, "Then you must also know that Ben and the other Plumbers are on their way."

"Of course," The smirk widened, "But we won't be here when the place explodes."

Emerald eyes widened in horror, "You actually have a canister of Element X?"

"Several. I figured there's enough of the stuff here to level the place along with the two nearest cities. I can tell you where each canister is _if_," He stared at her with a possessive, manic glee "You agree to do something with me next Friday night."

Gwendolyn blinked. Once, twice, three times before she lets loose a peal of laughter. Let it be known that Kevin 11,000 never did things on a scale that was anything but grand.

--

**PS:** And if you answered I was in a "retarded" mood when I write this, you're absolutely correct! Okay, so I don't really know what the heck I was on when I wrote this but it was fun, in a weird sort of way. I just wanted Kevin to ask Gwen out, even if it was like over ten years late and they were now on opposite sides of the law. This is first attempt at a comedy, so comments and criticisms (even flames) welcomed.


	7. Waiting

**Author's Notes:**  
Slightly spring-boarding this little drabble-thing from my earlier fic "Why Not Me?" (blatant plug, much?) while at the same time being another one from my 50 theme Gwevin drabble challenge.

--

**Waiting**

"_I'm so much closer than  
I have ever known..."_

--

Kevin was uncomfortable.

It had nothing to do with the way the cold bit at his fingers and extremities, nor with the dank air that smelled of crusting blood and impending doom, nor with the darkness what few lights that hadn't long burned out desperately fought a losing battle with.

It also had nothing to do with how the holding cell he had been shoved in wasn't designed to detain someone with his hulking frame. He was used to crouching low to keep his head from banging against the ceiling and having his petrosapien and pyronite arms scrape against something each time he shifted his weight. He didn't enjoy contorting his body in order to fit the small enclosure. It annoyed him, irritated him, but it was nothing he couldn't easily remedy by making a few blows against the walls.

Normally by this time, unless he had some sort of restraint on him, Kevin would have already gone through several attempts of breaking out.

But the mutant hadn't so much as moved from where he sat with his back against cold metal and his feet stretched out before him. With his size and the limited space, Kevin really couldn't maneuver himself well enough to do much of anything.

At least not without waking the source of his discomfort.

He looked down with mismatched eyes at the small, slender girl curled up against his massive chest. His vulpamancer arms cradled her protectively, the sensitive quills quivering in time to the steady rhythm of her breathing. The pair had gone down fighting, with Gwen exhausting most of her magical energy with spells that were by far the most taxing ones she had cast to date.

The fatigue was evident from the way she was so still when she slept, like one dead to the world, completely unaware of the dangers awaiting them upon their waking.

The sleep of the Innocent or the sleep of the Just? Kevin couldn't tell, he doesn't remember how long it's been since he experienced either. Whichever it was, he found himself mildly jealous that such a peaceful slumber could come so naturally for her while it forever eluded him.

It always has.

Nothing about the ten-year-old girl made sense to the eleven-year-old boy.

He wondered how someone like Gwen could bring herself to lower her guard around someone like him. He wondered how she could stare up at him with such clear, bright eyes and why they shone with trust and compassion rather than fear and contempt. He wondered how she could look at him and make him feel _normal_. He wondered over how she could stand her ground and talk back to him when he was being irrational and petty despite the danger that he could snap her in half anytime he wanted.

Which he didn't.

And it was the lack of answers, the absence of an explanation that gnawed at Kevin and made him skittish and restless and eager for Gwen to wake up so he could... what? _Ask_ her?

No, he couldn't -wouldn't- do that! No, Kevin Levin didn't need someone younger than him (and a girl at that) telling him why he had all these things running around his head and driving him crazy. Or crazier than he already was.

His current state of mental distress was probably caused by being imprisoned. Yes, that was it, exactly! And he did want Gwen to wake up so that they could finally discuss their plan on how they were going to get out of this hellhole.

For a brief moment he thought of rousing her until he felt her bury her face against his torso, heard her sigh in content and warmth. Kevin decided against disturbing the upward curve of her lips and having her pull away just so she could gather her bearings and think.

He was afraid that she'd wake up.

Not from her sleep, but from whatever state of mind she had been in all this time. He was afraid that she would come to her senses and realize she was making a mistake in trusting him, caring for him, caring _about_ him.

That he'd be alone again.

No, he's not going to let that happen. Not after knowing what it was like to have someone look out for him, someone who made him feel safe and normal. He wasn't going to let her go, she was _his_ damn it! And he thinks, with a bitter snarl simmering in the back of his throat, that he would rather go through a hundred, a _thousand _more mutations than lose her.

But the fear that he was just delaying the inevitable gnawed at him from the back of his mind.

So he'll wait when that moment comes, then he'll use threats, deceits and whatever else he has at his disposal to convince her otherwise. With that plan in his head, Kevin found himself slowly drifting off to sleep.

--

"_Don't let it catch you falling,  
Ready or not at all..."_

--

Gwen was comfortable.

It had nothing to do with how fatigue and exhaustion were slowly draining from her body as she slept. Certainly it was a wonderful sensation that left her feeling light, as if a heavy shackled had been lifted from her limbs, but she had felt this many times before back when she was travelling the country and fighting alien monsters back home on Earth.

It also had nothing to do with the soothing, healing dream she was having at that precise moment. The dream was always a pleasant one, full of warm splashes colors with a soft melody playing and the air was sweet and heady. But it lacked tangibility, there was nothing solid, no specific forms or lines and nothing she could take comfort in knowing what it was exactly. The dream was actually very reminiscent of an abstract piece she had seen in an art gallery during a summer that felt so long ago. But she was accustomed to the lack of foundation and logic, spending several months with her cousin in close quarters had increased her tolerance for the inexplicable and the nonsensical. Or she was simply very mature for her age.

With her strength returning and the weariness ebbing away, her lids slowly rose. Instinctively she tensed at the darkness of her surroundings. But she settled down at the sensation of fur on her arms and a muscled chest against her cheek. Rubbing the vestiges of sleep from her eyes, Gwen studied her situation.

She frowned, noting the severe lack of space and how difficult this holding cell must be for the reason of her comfort. She hears the air from the grills on his cheeks push out, feels his breath against her face and she looks up to find all three of his eyes were closed. It does not escape her that despite falling asleep, Kevin still managed to hold her so gently in his arms.

Gwen makes no motion to leave his embrace, not because of the biting cold of the prison block, nor of the ominous whispers and moans. In all honesty it's from the sense of security she felt from having such powerful arms holding her with a tenderness they didn't seem capable of. Along with the familiarity that reminds her of home and normalcy, even if no one would believe the latter.

But she reasons it's because she doesn't want to wake him, Kevin had put up an amazing fight when they had been attacked and captured. She had seen him take out so many drones before exhaustion scooped her up into its jaws and swallowed her whole. She tells herself that he deserves whatever peace and quiet he could get and that Kevin needs to be able to rest without fear or apprehension.

And she believes this because she knows it to be true.

Kevin was always so quick to wake and get to his feet in case of another attack. He was so hostile, so swift to throw the first punch, it made sense why he would be reluctant to lower his guard and just sleep. It surprised her that she hadn't disturbed him, maybe he was more tired than he let her know. She wouldn't put it past him.

Gwen never thought Kevin trusted her, at least not the way she had been willing to trust him. It disturbed her, knowing someone who was just a year older than her could be as cynical and as full of hate as he was. And it upset her that he couldn't see himself past the monstrous shell he was in even if _she_ could.

He had been gentle with her, protective of her, careful of his actions, his words and attitude were another matter but he wouldn't be Kevin otherwise. He had been the only one to take her seriously and not see her as just excess baggage. He showed her he was capable of so much good but he seemed blind to the possibilities.

And she wondered how she was going to make it known, make him see, make him aware. He was stubborn and full of pride and was very much like all the other boys on the inside. He seems to have forgotten that part of himself, favoring the mindless damage and brute force his new body was more than gifted with.

She needed to get him away from all the dangerous aliens, distance him from the interstellar threats. She needed him to wake up so they could come up with a method of getting out. But she decides against that when she hears him bite back a whimper, feels him shudder from a nightmare. She whispers a spell beneath her breath and a soothing blue light drifts from the tip of her fingers to rest against Kevin's forehead.

Gwen watched as the ridges where brows should have been smoothened out and the rest of Kevin's features resembled a serene calm. And she gives a sigh of relief because she was afraid.

Afraid that this time, he'll let the madness eating away at him win. That he'll surrender his humanity to fully become the beast he was on the outside. That there would be no way for her to save him from himself.

That she'll have failed him because she wasn't strong enough.

No, she's not going to let that happen. Not after everything they've been through, not after all he had done for her. And she thinks, with an angry hiss bubbling in the back of her throat, that she would rather let herself be alien food than lose him.

The fear that she was just delaying the inevitable never crossed her mind and she settled herself back in his arms. Right now, she was content to wait for Kevin to regain his strength while she formulated their escape plan.

--

**Additional Information:  
**Song lyrics are from the song "Waiting" by Greenday


	8. Gray

**Author's Note:**  
A drabble from the 50 theme challenge, as well as a request from 1000GreenSun.

"I would like to read more Gwendolyn/Kevin 11K with Devlin in the latter fic. Maybe something like Gwen's really Devlin's mom or something..."

This was a tricky drabble to write since Kevin 11k is a sociopath in the Ken 10 universe. Not to mention I was in the mood for some light fluff. So, Kevin 11k is written extremely different from the way I usually write him. He's not as sociopathic here but he's still not completely a good guy. I dunno, I may have made him a little emasculated D8 I R TEH SOWI!

--

**Gray**

On normal occasions, hearing herself being referred to as Mrs. Levin brought a warm smile to her face. It was a declaration to the world, to the _universe_ even, of what she had always known to be true. That she, Gwendolyn Tennyson, belonged to Kevin Levin, now and forever more.

However, when the words came from the lips of a frowning, portly, multi-limbed, multi-eyed middle school principal, Gwendolyn decided it was bad manners to have anything but an apologetic look on her face.

"Thank you for coming, Mrs. Levin. I know you're usually so busy with your work with the Plumbers and given the nature of young Devlin's circumstance neither of you should even be here." The principal rubbed the stalk of an eye with a tentacle while his other eyes turned towards the pale young man seated beside his mother. "But the school board is being extra strict in handling fights that break out on school property especially when portions of said property get broken."

"It's no problem, Principal Kirken. What exactly happened?" Gwendolyn asked of the alien as she placed a reassuring on her son's shoulder.

"Devlin? Would you care to tell your mother or shall I?"

The dark-haired boy shrugged before turning to face Gwendolyn, "Hank was picking on some third graders so I told him to lay off. He made like he was gonna stop so I walked back to Ken and the gang. Then he sucker punched me."

Gwendolyn looked indignant that someone could be so cowardly as to do such a thing. Until she reminded herself that these were kids and that her husband was known to fight dirty even up to the present. She stared at Devlin and carefully studied him. Even if his long, obsidian hair was pulled back away from his face or his nose wasn't as aquiline as Kevin's, his features made him the spitting image of his father.

She noted the unconcerned, unapologetic expression that was the sign of budding arrogance, which was closely similar to Kevin's own smug, self-assured confidence. The female Plumber could already predict what her son did next.

Devlin would have assumed his larger form and pounded some manners and maybe fear into Hank. He wouldn't hold back, considering Hank had made the first move and a cheap shot at that. Without knowing what specie Hank was (as Earth was now home to more than just the human race), Gwendolyn could only use Devlin's abilities to gauge the amount of damage the school took.

Sure enough, Devlin admitted that he had indeed roughed Hank up and then some. And judging from the lack of bruising on her son, Gwendolyn could tell it had been a one-sided fight that heavily favored the dark-haired boy.

"Devlin may have been standing up to a bully but he did cause a good deal of damage to the school yard, the cafeteria _and_ the parking lot." Principal Kirken explained.

"How much damage are we talking about?" Gwendolyn bit her lower lip. When the principal showed her the estimated sum, emerald eyes grew saucer-wide.

"You don't have to worry about paying for any of it, seems one of the third graders Devlin stood up for is the daughter of a construction company owner." The alien assured the red-head, "This is all for formality and protocol's sake. To be quite honest, Hank has been quite the trouble maker but none of the students ever came forward to report him. He made sure never to cause any mischief whenever a teacher was a round so the school couldn't quite do anything about it.

"And strictly off the record, I was rather glad to see that brat get tossed around like a ragdoll. Your son he must take after both his parents."

Gwendolyn would have mentioned that if her son took after her, he wouldn't have caused so much damage but she did feel the strange warmth of pride glowing within her. So instead, she smiled affectionately at Devlin whose cheeks seemed to be tinged pink from the praise.

"It was nothing." He mumbled, trying to make it sound as if it didn't matter to him in the least.

"Well then, I hope the next time we meet it'll be under more pleasant circumstances." The principal extended a tentacle to both Gwendolyn and Devlin. They accepted the proffered limb and shook politely before exiting.

Outside, Gwendolyn spied a strangely familiar blonde man scolding an already injured boy who was several years older and bigger than Devlin (at least when the dark-haired boy was in his human form).

"That's Hank Morningstar," the pale lad whispered to his mother when they were out of earshot. "Turns out he's a real pushover."

Gwendolyn blinked at hearing the boy's last name and was decidedly glad that Devlin had no idea who the boy's father was. "Violence is never the answer, Devlin."

"But he hit me first." He reasoned, "And Dad said it was okay to fight back so long as I didn't throw the first punch."

"Your dad plays by his own rules." Gwendolyn reminded him, though the hint of a smile tugged at her lips. "He's not exactly the best person to use as a role model when it comes to judging when it's time to fight."

"If I don't fight back, Dad says everyone'll walk all over me." Devlin pouted, folding his arms across his chest.

"Devlin, you just showed everyone at your school that they _can't_ walk all over you." Gwendolyn laughed, ruffling her son's hair playfully, "And I guess since you were sticking up for those third graders _and_ Hank did start the fight I could let this slide."

The dark-haired boy looked up to his mother with the sole physical feature he inherited from her. The corners of his verdant eyes crinkled as he smiled brightly at her, "Are you gonna tell dad about this when he gets back?"

"I'm sure he'd love to hear all about it." She nodded before suddenly taking flight, "Race you home!"

Devlin's face shone with glee as he changed into his larger form to speed after his mother.

--

Kevin was seated on the couch, waiting impatiently for his family to arrive. He didn't like coming home to find it empty. It worried him. If the doors and windows hadn't been locked when he got there, he would have thought the worst had happened while he was away. That was one of the down sides to being a bounty hunter. You made more enemies than you would as a Plumber.

The dark-haired mutant had long left the Plumbers. They had too many rules, too many restrictions and that annoying moral compass of theirs nearly drove him nuts. The only thing that organization had going for them was that the female Tennyson. And now that she was his, legally at that, he really saw no point in keeping the badge.

It wasn't that he was back on the side of evil, he had turned his back on that part of his life the moment he decided Gwendolyn would be his.

And in return he would be hers and hers alone.

It wasn't a fair trade. Kevin was more than convinced he got the _better_ deal.

The sound of the automated door lock shutting off caught his attention. He got to his feet, ready with a slew of questions regarding the how's and why's of their not-being-home. But when he heard the laughter of his wife and his son he realized he was being a foolish, overprotective idiot who forgot that his family was more than capable of fending for themselves.

Still, he wanted answers and answers he will get. Right after he takes Gwendolyn into his arms and kisses her until Devlin declares that his parents are being gross. Kevin presses his mouth against Gwendolyn's lips and onto the skin of her cheeks, her forehead, her neck and whatever else he could reach.

"Ewww, could you two _not_ do that in front of me." Devlin made a face as he shielded his eyes with a shudder.

"Sorry kiddo," Gwendolyn laughed in between the shower of kisses she was raining down on Kevin.

"I'll be in my room until you two decide to stop being so mushy." The lad declared as he rushed upstairs.

"I do believe we've scared our son into hiding," Gwendolyn laughed as she stared after Devlin's retreating figure.

"He'll toughen up," Kevin chuckled, "Anything happen while I was gone?"

She nodded and proceeded to tell him of the trouble their child had gotten himself into.

"And he said it was Morningstar's kid?" Kevin was grinning like a mad man; it was an expression that sent both a cold shudder and a delicious thrill up Gwendolyn's spine.

"The father _did_ look suspiciously familiar." She confirmed. "But I don't think Devlin should know who Mike was and what happened. The past's the past, you know?"

"You were always too forgiving, Gwendolyn." He shook his head. Though Kevin knew he had no reason to begrudge her for that, otherwise he wouldn't have had a snowball's chance in hell with her.

She curled her arms around Kevin's neck, murmuring "Everyone deserves a second chance."

"I'm glad you gave me one." He whispered.

"And I'm glad you took it." She tiptoed to kiss him lightly on the lips before pulling back, "I'm going to go make dinner. I'd ask you to give Devlin a talk about the fight in the meantime, but you'll probably only encourage him."

"Would I do a thing like that?" He gasped feigning wounded pride.

She placed a hand on her hip as she smirked at him. "Yes, yes you would."

Regardless of his wife's words, Kevin still went up to speak with his son. Mostly to get the details of the actual fight and to learn what state Devlin left Hank. Gwendolyn may have forgiven Morningstar of his transgressions against them in the past, but Kevin was not as kind.

"You didn't rough him up _that_ much?" Kevin frowned.

"He had something like a second shield on him at all times. I had to bash him through a whole ton of stuff before that glittery stuff flaked off." Devlin explained. "After that all it took was one punch and then passed out."

Kevin suppressed a laugh, seems Mike's son inherited not only the absurd sparkles of his father but the weak constitution to boot.

"Besides, Mom says I should be using my powers to help people instead of hurting them." Devlin added.

"You were helping people, those third graders right?"

The young boy scratched the back of his head, "Yeah I guess, but Mom also says that I shouldn't be too rough with the bad guys if I could help it. Unless they did something really stupid like hurt family."

Kevin listened intently to his son's words, if he closed his eyes he could swear he was listening to Gwendolyn. Even if his voice was nothing like the red-head's, the way Devlin spoke with conviction and a strong sense of justice made the young boy sound just like her.

The bounty hunter noted how his son had so much of his features, save for his eyes. Eyes that seemed capable of seeing beyond the surface of anything, of anyone the way the boy's mother could and does. But far as Kevin was concerned, he was looking at a smaller version of himself on the outside. And on the inside, where it _really_ mattered, he was looking at Gwendolyn.

--

Devlin was the perfect marriage between the darkness in Kevin that gave him strength of will and of the light in Gwendolyn that gave him strength of character. He was Kevin's atonement and Gwendolyn's promise, a wonderful blend of the good and the bad. If they had been in a world of clear-cut black and white, Devlin was gray.


	9. Parasite

**Author's Notes:**

Another one from the 50 theme drabble challenge bearing certain similarities with my earlier drabble "Gray." You might also notice similar themes with Chibi Hime's "Mind Games." This drabble was actually written and uploaded to my DA account prior to me reading Mind Games but I purposely waited for Chibi Hime to post her fic first before uploading this. Just wanted to make that clear.

--

**Parasite**

"Get out." A deadly growl, a menacing warning. Strong, calloused hands pinned a slender figure against a solid titanium wall, russet eyes glaring hatefully between onyx locks in disgust at the sight. Broad, leather-clad shoulders tensed in suppressed fury, teeth grinding to bite back the rage that burned inside.

"But why would I want to do that?" An arrogant sneer, a raspy inhuman voice. A slim finger trailed up along muscular arms to brush lightly over the cross-shaped scar on a square jaw. Disheveled sun-kissed hair did little to hide the obsidian cracks marring the skin surrounding twin pinpricks of lavender in dual pools of darkness.

"I'm very comfortable in this body in fact I might even keep it. Seeing as how it now comes with such wonderful new features since the last time I've taken it for a test drive." Ruby red lips widened to a wicked smile, "Nearly over thirty years ago."

An expression turns ugly and a snarl practically rips itself from a throat. "You don't want to make me angry, Zs'Skayr. Get out my wife. NOW."

--

_A report of a portal suddenly opening in an abandoned, underground storage facility had been made. With intergalactic and interstellar travel having become common place, this was considered nothing out of the ordinary. Suspicious, perhaps, but it was something rookies were sent to take care of._

_Gwendolyn had volunteered, wanting to finish early so she could be ready with a congratulatory dinner to celebrate her son's little league baseball team reaching the finals. No one seemed to object and the red-head had set off._

_Her feet made no sound as she descended the steps into the storage facility, the lights had stopped working years ago but that didn't prove to be a problem. The charms of bezel glimmered briefly as a small tongue of fire lit on her fingertip to illuminate her surroundings. She noticed a strange protrusion up amongst the exposed, rusting pipes and summoned panels of energy to get a better look._

_The last thing she saw was a pale, inhuman leer. _

_And everything was darkness. _

_A never ending void of nothingness. _

_It was in this abyss that stretched out to infinity that Gwendolyn shivered, curled up within a cocoon of fear and helplessness. She knows what's happening to her, recalling the events of that one day during that fateful summer so many years past._

_This icy, unnatural chill encasing her, it wasn't something one forgot even if it happened just once. The time Zs'Skayr, the ectonurite more commonly referred to as Ghostfreak, had taken control of her body when she was but a child. _

_She doesn't remember what had occurred while she was trapped within the empty expanse of darkness. Or of how the alien had used her body to attack Ben and later threatened him with her demise if he didn't surrender. Her memories had chosen to push back the fear and the shame she felt upon realizing she wasn't strong enough to free herself from the ectonurite's clutches._

_For all her talk about being the smart one, the resourceful one, in the end she still needed to be saved. But back then she wasn't aware of her powers or of her heritage._

_What was her excuse now?_

"_You are simply just not strong enough." Zs'Skayr cackled in an ear-grating, manic glee, "Never were, never will be."_

"_That's not true!" Gwendolyn tried to summon mana to her hands, to will magic to her lips, but there was no response, no crackle of energy, not even a faint spark. _

"_I suppose you're _partly_ correct." The alien continued to laugh, "You are weak, your body is something else entirely. Would you like to see?"_

_A shaft of light pierced through the darkness and Gwendolyn is momentarily blinded. When her eyes become accustomed to the glare, her jaw drops in horror at the smoking ruins that was once a shopping complex._

"_You should have seen them, screaming, shrieking, clawing at each other just to get away from me. You. _Us_."_

The image ripples to show Zs'Skayr wrecking havoc with the female Plumber's powers. Panels of violet energy cut through support beams, the charms of bezel glowed as fire shot out from her palms to incinerate any drones that attempted to put out the flames. With a wave of her hand, a twister formed to swallow countless innocents before they were thrown against walls and into display windows.

Limbs were shorn, lives were lost, and all throughout the carnage Gwendolyn's face was twisted into an eerie, soulless grin as the ectonurite laughed and laughed and laughed.

From behind a stream of fire shot past her ear, red hair fluttering briefly before she glanced over her shoulder. The grin widened into a maniacal smile of recognition when Zs'Skayr caught sight of the source.

"Gwendolyn, what on earth are you _doing_?!" A pyronite demanded before his eyes widened at the dark cracks running between the red-head's cheeks and forehead. He frowned, reaching for his Plumbers badge to request for immediate back up. "Bring some sun guns. We've got an ectonurite possession."

Zs'Skayr looked thoughtful, "Gwendolyn wouldn't be the one who's cousins with that irritating little pest Ben Tennyson? But I suppose she would be, given _you're_ here, Ben."

The fiery alien narrowed his eyes as he reverted to his human form. Instead of the brunette, there standing before the ectonurite was Alan Albright. "I'm not Ben, but I'm enough to take you on, whoever you are."

A roar of laughter echoed throughout the crumbling structure before large boulders rose off the ground and they launched themselves at the pyronite. The chunks of debris shattered upon collision with the burst of fire shot out before the fiery alien managed to tackle the possessed Plumber to the ground.

"Gwendolyn! It's me, Alan!" Words that fell upon deaf ears.

"Little Gwendolyn can't hear you right now, half-breed." The ectonurite sneered as he lashed out with a backhand followed by a fistful of violet energy.

Alan stumbled back and regained his senses in time to see Gwendolyn's body swoop down towards him.

"Aw man, rock and a hard place much?" he groaned, knowing full well that two people would be out to give him a beat down even if it what he was about to do was excusable. He took to the sky at the last second, fingers interlacing as he descended to deliver a hammer blow that caught Gwendolyn square in the back.

A deep impression was left on the ground upon her landing. The red-head groaned, eyes clear of the obsidian marks. Alan reverted to his human half to see if he had hurt the female Plumber, only to have a sphere of violet energy explode against his chest. A violet dome closed down over Alan who was instantly in his pyronite form.

Zs'Skayr leaned in close to hiss, "Did you know that I can turn this little enclosure into a vacuum?"

The man's eyes widened in horror as he felt his fire die out before the very air in his lungs were sucked out of him. He reverted to his human form before falling face down, his skin ashen, body completely unmoving.

_Tears were streaming down Gwendolyn's cheeks, her hands clamped over her mouth to muffle the sobs in her throat._

"_Oh I didn't kill _him_." Zs'Skayr promised, knowing that did little to comfort his host. "Though I can't say the same for all those other aliens. Earth has certainly changed the last, three or so decades since you and your cousin somehow managed to trap me in the Null Void. It really wasn't all too different from being on my home world, really._

"_In fact I rather liked it in there until I came across an alien who had the ability to glow with the intensity of a thousand suns! Then I had to get away and fast." The ectonurite then made himself visible. _

_The red-head tore her eyes away from the taunting smirk, only to hear a mock-disappointed tsk-tsk-tsk-ing._

"_Now, now, it's perfectly fine if you stare. Really. I don't mind. But in my opinion you wouldn't want to miss what I'm doing right now." Sharp nails cut into Gwendolyn's skin as fingers clamped down on her chin to force her to continue gazing onto the image that was now displayed before her._

_A gasp died in her throat as she whispered, "Kevin..." _

--

"I said get out of Gwendolyn!" The dark-haired mutant yelled.

"Make. Me." Zs'Skayr hissed, "Come on. I want to see you try to beat this body to an inch of its life. That's the only way I'll willingly leave it."

Kevin's body shook in restrained fury; he was doing everything he could to keep his anger in check. Even if he wanted to unleash hell upon the bastard ectonurite, he was unable to do anything. Not as long as the coward was inside his wife's body. "What do you want?"

"Who knew the Tennyson female was a half-breed anodite? If only the spark had been awake when I first used her, I wouldn't have needed the Omnitrix to take over this world." The manic grin widened. "But my wants are simpler now. Just the destruction of this miserable little planet. And with this body, I can easily do just that."

"Gwendolyn, baby, I _know_ you're in there. You have to fight him" Kevin ordered, eyes staring intently at the possessed features of his wife, trying to find even the barest hint of her within the empty darkness.

"Your mate can hear you, but she can't do anything unless I _want_ her to." The canting of her head was followed by the charms illuminating as she broke free from Kevin's grip. Fire rained down upon the dark-haired man, but they were easily absorbed as he morphed his body into a hulking amalgam of the alien parts he had absorbed from the null void.

"Then you'd better start _wanting_ to. And **fast**!" Kevin roared, the fire burning through his body flaring in anger.

"My, my, isn't the future just full of surprises?" Zs'Skayr remarked in awe before a massive hand grabbed him. "And I thought _this_ body's destructive potential was untapped. Change of plans."

The ectonurite released his hold on Gwendolyn and attempted to merge with Kevin. But like his first attempt with Ben, Zs'Skayr could not join with the mutant, not while he was a bizarre mishmash of features.

Gwendolyn groaned, her vision blurry as she slowly grew used to the light. Before she could regain her senses, darkness blanketed her as she was once again taken over.

_Strange, the darkness wasn't as deep and the chill wasn't as biting this time around. _

"_Let me out of here!" Gwendolyn shrieked as she clawed at the gossamer trappings she was enshrouded in. "I won't let you take Kevin! I won't let you destroy my home and my family and everything I care about!"_

"_And how do you propose to do that?" the ectonurite sneered._

_Gwendolyn felt the cocoon give way ever so slightly and she wondered if... _

_Human teeth sank on her lower lip so hard she began to bleed. _

"Gwendolyn?" Kevin uttered as he watched the struggling female he held bite down on her lower lip to the point she broke skin. The dark lines marring her eyes still indicated the ectonurite was in control of the situation but they were distinctly fainter.

"_What do you think you'll accomplish by doing that?" Zs'Skayr laughed. "Oh no, I hurt my lip, whatever shall I do?"_

_With an inhuman snarl, Gwendolyn tore through the bindings and tackled her captor. _

"_I felt the pain which means I managed to take control of my body. I swear I wish I had a sun gun in here but biting my tongue and bleeding to death will just have to do." She growled, catching the ectonurite into a choke hold and holding strong, despite the tentacles snaking around her limbs. "And I'm taking you with me, you sick, pasty-faced bastard!"_

Kevin heard every word that the two exchanged and struck by realization he shifted back into a human. He released his hold on Gwendolyn, taking several steps back before yelling out "Gwendolyn, you're not going to do something stupid as that. I'm not letting you!"

The cracks nearly faded away as the _real_ Gwendolyn screamed out "There's no other way!"

"Yes! There is! Zs'Skayr, leave my wife's body and you can have mine."

_The offer was too good to refuse. Gwendolyn's grip tightened; desperation and adrenaline providing her with greater strength. The ectonurite, however, was experiencing the same thing and managed to free himself. _

Gwendolyn crumpled in exhaustion as Zs'Skayr practically bolted out of her body. He soared upwards to release a series of triumphant, manic laughter before diving towards Kevin.

The dark-haired mutant was instantly kneeling by his wife's limp form. He shielded her eyes with his hand, a stray lock of her hair dangling over his fingers. He whispered, "You're not going to want to see this."

As Zs'Skayr swooped in, he suddenly caught sight of a familiar glow breaking through a majority of Kevin's skin. There was no time for the ectonurite to pull up and flee as the mutant's body was suddenly alight with the intensity of a thousand burning suns.

The rays of illumination bore holes in the light-sensitive alien's body. He writhed and seethed and shrieked as he felt himself dissolve completely into smoke until not even a smallest trace of him was left.

--

"It's all over, baby." Kevin's voice was soft and low as he cradled Gwendolyn in his arms while he wiped at the blood on her lips.

Gwendolyn's body was racked with sobs. "I killed so many people, Kevin. Hurt so many people, strangers and friends."

"No, no, you didn't. You didn't do any of that." Kevin promised her, "It was not your fault. None of it was your fault."

She clutched at the fabric of his shirt so tightly her knuckles paled. "How can you say it's not my fault!? You saw me. You saw how I somehow managed to get control. I could have done it sooner. I _should_ have done it sooner. I could have done something to prevent-"

The red-head was silenced as Kevin suddenly hugged her tightly. She heard his soft, nearly inaudible sob, felt his body quake with tremors of fear.

"People die all the time!" Kevin's voice trembled with rage and helplessness and frustration, "Friendly fire. Collateral damage. Unforeseen casualties. Damn it Gwendolyn, you know this shit better than I do! These things _happen_ and it's not anyone's fault!"

She stared up at him, eyes wet with tears.

"Zs'Skayr got under your skin and made you feel weak and useless. Made you do things you'd never do. But he's not you." Kevin continued before noticing the lock that stood out from the rest of her sun-kissed hair. The intensity of the light he had emitted to destroy the ectonurite had apparently blanched it to a distinctively lighter shade.

Idly, he fingered the paler strands. He whispered, as if speaking any louder would render his point null and void, "You're a Plumber, you're a hero, you're also human and not perfect. Even if _I_ think you are."

The corners of Gwendolyn's mouth slowly curled upwards into a smile, small and wan. She buried her face into her husband's chest, allowing herself to take comfort in the steady rhythm of his heartbeat.


	10. Hold My Hand

**Hold My Hand**

"I'll destroy your body and free the anodite inside. It'll be _fun_. And you'll be able to think much more clearly." Verdona wasted no time in wrapping tendrils of violet energy around her horror-stricken granddaughter, completely encased her.

A stunned hush fell upon the room.

There was a blinding light, a faint hiss, a muffled gasp and the cocoon of mana fell away to reveal the dimly glowing being within. Her sun-kissed hair was now a radiant magenta, her peaches and cream skin a dull lavender. The only feature that could remotely indicate the trembling figure on the floor staring at her limbs in disbelief had been Gwendolyn Tennyson was the emerald sheen of her eyes.

Her parents stood rooted to the spot, with Lily's knees suddenly buckling as she weakly fell back onto the couch.

It didn't take long for the initial shock of the transformation to twist into blatant outrage.

Ben swallowed thickly, jade eyes blinking. He whispered as he reached out to his cousin, "G-Gwen?"

"What did you do to her?!" Kevin roared; russet eyes ablaze with fury.

Verdona canted her head with a nonchalant shrug, "I simply made it easier for Gwen to decide that she belongs on Anodine. With the rest of her kind."

Frank didn't share the sentiment, "Mother, you had no right!"

"You wouldn't know what's best for an anodite, Frank. But I do." Verdona scoffed, waving her hand in dismissal before reaching out to her granddaughter. "Come on kiddo, let's be off."

Gwen was oblivious to her surroundings. She was too overwhelmed by the drastic change she had just undergone.

"You're not taking her anywhere!" Ben declared, suddenly getting in between the two energy beings.

The older anodite chuckled, "There's no need to be jealous of your cousin, Ben."

"I'm not jealous. I want you to turn her back to normal."

Kevin snarled through grit teeth, marching up to Verdona. He wanted Gwen to stay. He _needed_ her to stay. "Make her human again. **Now**."

"Another dance boys?" Verdona grinned, her fist aglow with power. "Okay. But just this once."

An explosion shook the neighborhood.

Two bodies crashed out the window and onto the front yard.

Verdona followed, giggling in delight. She didn't realize that the anodite's mind within her granddaughter was raised to be every bit as human as her originally body was.

--

The young anodite looked up in confusion before rising to unsteady feet to investigate the commotion outside. Her thoughts were a jumbled mess of colors and shapes and inconsistencies, her mind unable to piece together her memories.

A flash of green drew her attention. The sound of concrete shattering into dust worried her. But it was the series of violet bursts that prevented her from sorting the chaos in her head. She stared at the unfamiliar figures performing a highly destructive dance before her.

A multi-limbed simian hurled webbings at a swooping streak of violet light. She watched, transfixed as the light wove through the air to avoid getting entangled and responded with a beam of energy.

"Ben! Head's up!" a living statue yelled as he threw a large chunk of the driveway at the light.

_Ben?_ A sharp pain suddenly shot through her head. _This was all wrong._

The light grunted at the impact and shot out a sphere in retaliation.

"Kevin! Watch out!" the monkey called.

_Kevin? _The ache intensified. _None of this should be happening._

The orb exploded inches away, kicking up a cloud of dust and sending Kevin sprawling right at the young anodite's feet. There was something about the sight of the unmoving body that made her feel angry.

She felt her temper flare when Kevin groaned and looked up at her with such anguish in his russet eyes.

"Give it up, boys." The light hovering in the dark sky laughed, devoid of sympathy. "You're a few decades too young to take me on."

At the sound of laughter, the pain grew unbearable until the young anodite was completely consumed by a blind fury. She screeched as mana crackled in her fingers and her hair split into several, thick strands.

"Now kiddo, there's no need to throw a temper tantrum." Verdona shook her head. "You just need to get used to your new bo-" she was cut off as a tendril whipped across her face. "What are you-"

Another sharp crack. Followed by another and another and another. Verdona found herself stunned by the quick succession of strikes long enough to have strands wind about her wrists and slam her roughly onto the ground. Verdona barely had time to raise a shield as exploding spheres rained down upon her.

"Stop it!" Ben yelled out, weaving a net to restrain his cousin. As much as he hated what his grandmother had done, Verdona was the only one who would know how they could reverse this.

But the young anodite misunderstood his intentions and let loose a barrage of beams upon the multi-eyed simian. Distracted, a tight coil managed to wrap around her body. She struggled and when she saw she wasn't strong enough to break free, she instinctively started to draw the mana around her.

The power coursing through her body overwhelmed her senses and made coherent thought near impossible. The only thing on her mind was to make everything and everyone hurt the way she was. She couldn't feel the tightening of Ben's webbings or the energy manacles Verdona bound her with. She couldn't make out their words, hearing little more than garbled sentences.

Until _he_ said it.

Him, _Kevin. _

It, a name, _her_ name.

"Gwen!"

_Gwen?_ The sharp pain numbed to a dull throb. _Oh. So that's who she was. Gwen. _

Gwen ceased her struggling, bleary eyes trying to focus on the trio of faces before her. She recognized each of them, a pure anodite, a spidermonkey, and a human.

_But what was _she_?_

The young female was unable to look upon herself. Scared, confused, ashamed, Gwen shrank away from them, whimpering. Only the warm, rough hands that closed over her own made her dare a glance. The sight of flesh interlaced with lavender allowed the reality of her situation to sink in.

Finally, her thoughts, her memories all fell into place as she regained her senses. She scanned her surroundings, faintly jade eyes taking in the damages on her house and the withered plant life. "What did I do?"

"It looks like you're more human than anodite." Verdona sighed with wan smile. "But I suppose you wouldn't be Max's granddaughter if you weren't."

"Grandma, what's going to happen to me now?" Gwen asked, her grip instinctively tightening around Kevin's hand.

"Now? Now you make your choice." With a snap of her fingers, Verdona restored everything to the way they were.

Including Gwen's body.

With her hair tendrils, Verdona helped all three teenagers to their feet. "I may have gotten a bit carried away with destroying your body. But be honest, it's liberating, being freed of that meat-sack you humans lug yourselves around in."

It was the closest to an apology the energy being was going to make.

Verdona lifted her granddaughter up and away from the ground, "So now that you've gotten a taste of what you are capable of, are you going to come with me to Anodine?"

"But you saw how I lost control."

"And you eventually snapped out of it didn't you? Besides, you can keep your body this time."

Gwen shook her head, "No, grandma, I'm staying."

The anodite pouted, "But Gwen, you saw just how powerful you are. Think of how much stronger you could be if you had someone to teach you how to master your powers."

The red-head glanced down at the two boys staring up from the ground, saw the worry and concern in Ben's eyes and the pleading look in Kevin's. She gave the two boys and her parents who had emerged from the repaired house a reassuring smile. "I'm sorry, grandma but I'm not going."

"No, I don't believe you are." There was a hint of resignation in Verdona's voice as she lowered them both back onto the grass.

Goodbyes were exchanged, albeit the earth-dwellers were more relieved than saddened. It didn't bother Verdona, even if she didn't understand why they had reason to feel that way. She was only trying to open her granddaughter's mind to the possibilities.

"Well Gwen, this has been quite a day. Ben, way to stick up for your cousin. You're alright." She beamed at the brunette. "And Curtis-"

"Kevin_._" He corrected.

Verdona just waved her hand in dismissal, "You'd better keep taking good care of Gwen. I'll be watching. Well, it's been a fun little shindig but momma's got to go."

--

**Author's Notes:**  
It is impossible to apply Earth Logic to Verdona. It just is XD But man she's fun to write. I always wondered what would have happened if Verdona just went ahead and 'destroyed' Gwen's body. I'm sure that even if the anodite inside her would awaken, it wouldn't _know_ what it was. Hello, she wasn't raised on Anodine after all so unless their culture was ingrained in their DNA or they shared a collective consciousness, Gwen is still a fully fledged Earthling even if she is glowing this time around.

Oh and this is a cross between a "what if" drabble and the 50 theme challenge. What exactly does the title have to do with the story? I... don't really know? D8


	11. Triangle

**Author's Notes:  
**Initially this was going to be something of a "love triangle-ish" take on the 50 theme challenge "Triangle" between Kevin, Gwen and Cash (inspired by **Sam deLittle's** fic "Seven Lies" **GO READ IT**!) but then I decided to interpret it as three different takes on one common theme/scenario. Whether that was a good or a bad thing, I dunno. Also, there may be a lack of a beginning and an end since this is a drabble.

Dedicated to all Gwevin shippers and in particular **Terina00** who requested "teenage Gwen/Kevin fluff", couldn't have gotten through the middle and last portion of this piece without having read your Gwevin fics.

--

**Triangle**

The table was cleared away, the dinner dishes were left in the sink to soak, Ben was completely engrossed with another mindless round of Sumo Slammer, and Grandpa Max was already snoring in his bed. With her family preoccupied with their own devices for the night, Gwen decided she could use a few hours of undisturbed magic practice.

Recently, Gwen had taken to studying the incantations whenever she could. And a quiet, uneventful evening like this one was perfect for brushing up and polishing her magic. Outside of course. Casting spells inside the RV usually led to a mess that she would have to clean up with no help from her cousin.

Plus there were fewer things that could break outside especially when they were parked in the woods. Her only risk would be setting the forest on fire, which meant no fire or lightning spells for now.

As she stepped outside, Gwen found herself smiling at the stillness of the woods. "Finally, a peaceful, _normal_ night."

The darkness of the forest makes it difficult to read the spells, but rather than using a flashlight, Gwen opted to summon a small, glowing, blue orb. Her smile widens, pleased that the luminous sphere is actually holding its shape this time around as opposed to sputtering out within seconds like her first few attempts.

Encouraged, the red-head tries her hand at a more complex incantation. Mid-spell she hears a rustling and she pauses, emerald eyes darting at her surroundings. Her brows knit together as she tries to peer through the darkness but failing to see anything that might have caused the noise.

She chalks it up to nerves since it had been a while since her cousin had a legitimate reason to go Hero. Taking a deep breath, Gwen resumes her practice.

'''''

Powerful muscles coupled with the rapid beating of mighty wings allowed the misshapen youth to catch up with the Tennysons in their travels. It was remarkable how such a massively bulky frame could move so swiftly but silently.

Even more remarkable was how he could manage to keep himself out of sight all this time. At least now, he had the veil of darkness and the thick of trees to aid him. From where he stood, Kevin saw Gwen step outside the safety of the RV. For days now he had contemplated on taking her hostage, using her as a bargaining chip against Ben.

Though lately, he was reconsidering his plan. He had watched her from afar and saw that even if she was fighting for her life, she still worried about the safety of her grandfather, of her cousin, of total _strangers_.

Kevin, with his mind as twisted and as warped as his body, couldn't understand the idea of looking out for someone other than yourself. But he did understand how unfair it was that _he_ didn't have someone like that and how much he wanted one.

And Kevin was no longer contemplating on taking Gwen hostage but instead simply taking her away. A razor-toothed grin made its way across his face as he imagined Gwen looking at him the way she does her family.

The sound of the RV door closing cut into his thoughts, and he heard Gwen's voice taking the strange, reverberating quality whenever she cast a spell. He stayed where he was; three eyes drinking in the sight of Gwen bathed in a cerulean glow.

The light gives her an ethereal presence, her smile a silent promise of wondrous things to come. As Gwen attempts another spell, Kevin's wings begin to resonate in response. Audibly. With soundless curse, he ducks behind a tree, praying that the red-head won't spot him. When he hears her pick up where she left off, the dark-haired mutant folds his wings tightly against his back before once again continuing to watch her.

--

They were walking, the three of them, through a dark alley that led to a rumored drop-off point for illegal alien technology. Vermin lurking in the shadows scuttled and scurried past. Every so often, Gwen would feel something brush against her shoes.

She cringed. Visibly. As did her cousin Ben whenever he thought no one was looking. Only the dark-haired teen who trailed after her seemed unfazed by their surroundings. Gwen supposed it was to be expected. He must have seen things far worse things than a couple of oversized rats and roaches.

Still there was something that made this experience bearable, if not pleasant, for the red-head. Namely the fact that Kevin would sneak a glance at her every now and then to see if she was doing alright. She could tell he was doing his best not to let her notice his concern.

Thinking it sweet but unnecessary as she had proven herself more than capable of handling oversized aliens let alone a couple of local species. So she feigned ignorance, for _his_ sake.

'''''

Kevin saw how uncomfortable the Tennyson cousins were as they made their way towards the meeting place. He wondered what reason they would have, considering they've been through more disgusting situations before. Not that he found this pleasant, he didn't like it anymore than they did but he could take on whatever earth had to dish out.

And he knew the cousins could handle themselves as well.

Nevertheless, Kevin couldn't help but worry and fret over Gwen's condition. Despite her powers and her alien heritage, Gwen was still every bit human and every bit female to the dark-haired mutant. Some might call it being a chauvinist while others might call it being chivalrous. Kevin only hoped Gwen would consider it the latter rather than the former if she ever caught him stealing a worried glance at her direction.

He was completely unaware that Gwen knew all this time. Otherwise, it might lead to Kevin running his mouth off at Gwen and getting her mad at him. Thankfully he remained ignorant, for the sake of all parties involved.

--

Music filtered through the restaurant's speakers, amply muting conversations into little more than indistinguishable white noise. Suspicious glances met casual stares, each gaze held briefer than a split second before it's pushed to the back of their mind to be forgotten. At least as far as the ordinary patrons were concerned.

At a private table that seated two, a pale woman dressed in a low-cut silken periwinkle gown studied a menu with her viridian eyes. Her blonde ringlets draped over bare shoulders ending just low enough to draw attention the swell of her breasts. Across her was an olive-skinned gentleman, his dark hair slicked back as he eyed his surroundings nervously.

"Calm down, Cash." The blonde instructed gently.

"Easy for _you_ to say, Gwendolyn." He muttered tersely. "I've never had a crazed stalker after me, let alone act as bait for her. Why couldn't another Plumber just use an ID-mask and _pretend_ to be me?"

"Because ID-masks emit a specific frequency that can be picked up with the right equipment. And the woman we're after has access to said equipment." the plumber explained.

"So how come you're wearing one?"

The menu snapped shut, before a slender hand rested tenderly upon Cash's arm. "I'm using a Glamour spell to change my appearance."

Cash blinked at the touch before he carefully averted his eyes to his own booklet, "I never thought you lacked the glam-factor."

"Thank you, Cash." Gwendolyn couldn't help but smile at the flattery even if she knew doing so would put him in even more danger. There was a careful nonchalance in the way she turned her attention to the waiter standing by the bar at the opposite side of the restaurant. It was not so much as to have their order taken as it was to check on the individual seated _at_ the bar.

Earlier on she had caught the man staring at her the instant she and Cash entered the establishment. She wondered why he was there and if he knew who _she_ was regardless of her Glamour. He must, because Gwendolyn certainly knew who _he_ was despite his burnished guise. And she wonders why he's here, what must be going through his mind, whether he knows she's putting herself in danger, if he cared and if she wanted him to even after all he's done to her.

The waiter drew near so she returned her focus on Cash and projected nothing but an eagerness to be with him. Leaning in close to recommend items on the menu, the attendant whispered to both Cash and Gwendolyn, "Our suspect's inspecting the bait, but you two need to amp it up to for her to bite."

Inwardly Gwendolyn sighed but she had to remind herself this was all part of the job. Batting her lashes, she pulled back, giggling loudly. "Oh Cash, you're so naughty."

"That's just the beginning," he followed up with a smoldering smile, intentions of getting her between the sheets radiating off him. He turned to the undercover plumber taking their order, "Bring us your best wine selection along with two glasses, if you please."

The other patrons suddenly noticed a strange tension forming in the atmosphere and they shifted uncomfortable in their seats.

"You don't need to get me drunk to take advantage of me." She winked at Cash as she licked her lips suggestively.

The sound of shattering glass suddenly echoed from the far end of the room, quickly followed by a shrill shriek. A blur suddenly lunged from the ceiling, heading straight for the red-head in blonde's clothing. "Keep your filthy hands off my man, you skank!"

"Suspect has revealed herself! Move in! Move in!" Another of the undercover Plumbers issued out the orders before the calm of the restaurant degenerated into sheer bedlam.

'''''

"Would you like another glass, sir?" The lime-skinned bartender asked as he nervously gestured to the empty drinking apparatus the metal-skinned customer held in his hands. There was a twitch to the employee's solitary eye, but lack of depth-perception wasn't what was making him so jumpy.

It had nothing to do with the chrome sheen of the patron's skin, or the broad, imposing frame of his body. It was not the disheveled hair, spiked and (unbeknown to anyone but perhaps two individuals) dyed to its current auburn state, nor the suspiciously singed edges of the three-piece, pin-stripe suit.

"No." Came the gruff response, followed by a sharp glare that made it clear he didn't want to be disturbed. In fact, his entire demeanor declared that it was in everyone's best interest if they kept to themselves and stayed out of his way.

The mutant frowns at the ringing his metal-encased fingers make when they drum against the counter. Of all the places his contact had to choose, it had to be a restaurant teeming with civilians. Kevin had to remind himself that he was not in his usual element and thus needed to exercise some measure of restraint. Otherwise the bartended would have found himself missing a tentacle or two simply for doing his job.

The rendezvous wasn't until the following night, but Kevin had made it a habit to scope out the location beforehand. He had long forgotten how to trust others, his experience backing up his findings that he couldn't trust anyone, not even himself.

And then he spots a couple entering.

The man Kevin recognizes, Cash, one of the prominent financial figures on earth. He's easily intimidated, his notion of security laughable, and thus is inconsequential. But the woman cozied up against Cash isn't.

Kevin knows her, despite the honey-hue of her hair and the paler pigmentation of her skin. He could tell the moment their eyes met that she recognized him, the she knew he could see right through the concealment spell.

And how could he _not_?

The assortment of alien DNA he had absorbed over the course of many years not only allowed him to shift forms, but also heightened his senses. So that even amidst the myriad of perfumes, cigar smoke and culinary aromas, he could make out that scent.

Her unmistakable scent that had, in the past, driven him mad with wanting and crazed with desire. It awakened a hunger inside him that only one person could sate. And that one person was in someone else's arms.

Metal grating against metal pierced Kevin's thoughts as he realized he had dug his fingers into the bar, leaving deep furrows. He showed no remorse, gave no indication he was apologetic, and there wasn't anyone in the restaurant who was going to give him trouble about it.

Instead, he continues to observe as the two are seated off at the far end of the establishment. Though there was little reason for Kevin to think this was a social dinner, he growls despite himself when he sees her touching Cash's arm.

He reminds himself that he no longer has the right or reason to feel the fires of jealousy. Whatever they shared was long gone, all of it his fault. He knows this, he acknowledges this, but he had yet to accept it.

And so he continues to watch.

Unable to turn away from the sight, even if it sickens him to see her enjoying herself with this man of all people. His stomach knots as she flirts and teases, hand gripping at his empty glass tighter than it can withstand. He hears it shatter rather than feels it, completely ignorant of the ambush the Plumbers have laid out. Until he picks up the bloodlust and all too-familiar intentions to kill from a stringy-haired woman at the opposite end of the bar.

She lets loose a feral shriek and launches herself at the ceiling to attack the table Kevin had been observing.


	12. Out Of The Woods

**Author's Notes:**  
Haaa, finally got this one written out! I'd call this the sequel to the prequel "Into the Woods" but another prequel to the first Alternate Universe fic "To Grandmother's House." This was more of exploring the slowly developing friendship between Gwen and Kevin. Yes, _friendship_, well from Gwen's point of view anyway as well as the one-sided Gwevin n.n Also, writing Verdona is SO MUCH FUN. Almost as fun as writing Myaxx (coughChangeOfPacecough) XD Oh and I'm currently taking requests while I ponder on the three current drabble themes I have in my profile. Send me a PM or post it in your review but only if you want one n.n No guarantees I'll take it though XD

--

**Out of the Woods**

Once upon a time, later, in the same far off land lived the young girl named Gwen. As far as the nearby villagers were concerned, she was an ordinary child of ten summers. After all, there was nothing unusual about her short, fiery hair or her vibrant emerald eyes, even if both physical traits gave people the impression that she would grow up to be a fine beauty.

Little did they know that she would also grow up to be a fine sorceress. At least as far as Gwen's grandmother, the witch Verdona who lived in the very heart of the forest, was concerned. Bringing her a basket of food was the excuse, learning the ways of wizardry and sorcery was the reality.

Studying magic had been Gwen's reason to see her eccentric grandmother, but after her lessons, she had no other cause to linger in the woods. But ever since she made a new friend, the young girl found herself wanting to explore the forest for purposes beyond practicing her incantations.

"There you are." She smiled, catching the rustling of bushes. Parting the foliage, she ventured off the path in search of her furry companion. "I'm not going to learn anything about tracking if you keep making it so easy for me to find you."

The wolf replied, not caring that the young girl wouldn't know what his soft yips meant as his tail wagged behind him.

She seemed to understand why he was so happy, however. "You must not be getting enough game if you were hungry enough to risk stealing the chicken pot pie I brought grandma the other day." Giggling, she raised the cover on her basket to reveal a savory pie, not just a measly slice mind you but an entire tin. "I'll give you the whole plate if you help me get enough hemlock and hyacinth for Grandma."

He darts off into the underbrush, only to return seconds later. He stares at her impatiently, waiting for her to follow after him.

"It's alright, Wolfy, I'll be able to catch up." She assured him with a laugh. She thought him sweet to worry about her safety, the notion that he was no ordinary wolf having crossed her mind more than once. But her grandmother never gave her a warning about the animal and even if Verdona's way of thinking was eccentric at best she was a good judge of beasts.

The canine doesn't seem to believe her and makes his thoughts known with a snort. With much reluctance, he disappeared into the thicket.

Gwen just shook her head in amusement, murmuring to herself "I don't know how he understands me, but it's pretty neat."

Despite knowing where the best places to gather hemlock and hyacinth are, the young girl purposely let the wolf lead her to their prize. With shafts of warm, afternoon sunlight peering through the canopy and the cheerful melody of the woodland creatures playing, it was easy for Gwen to overlook the fact that she had not traversed down the path her four-legged companion was currently taking.

Only when she noticed how the ground was soft and elevated to overlook the river flowing far below did she take stock of her surroundings. "W-Wolfy, slow down." She called out.

Hearing her cry, he does so and glances back over his shoulders, an almost smug look on his muzzle. His tail wags as he pads towards her, tongue lolling in a most taunting manner.

"I haven't been here before so I need to get to know the place first." Her brows knit together as she reasoned with the animal.

He doesn't seem to believe her and just barks, as if in laughter.

Gwen narrows her eyes at him, realizing he had intentionally brought her to unfamiliar territory. Not knowing this had all been done in good fun, the young girl misunderstands it as being shown up. "You think you're so clever. Fine! I was gonna tell grandma you helped me get the plants so she wouldn't try to turn you into a throw pillow. But if you're just going to make fun of me then I'm going to get them on my own."

She holds the basket protectively close to her slender body, head held high, unaware that the soft ground she was about to walk on did not have the fortitude to bear her weight. She releases a cry of alarm as she feels the soil give way, her descent promising to be most unpleasant, if not potentially fatal.

Or rather it would have been, had not sharp teeth sank down on the collar of her shirt and quickly pulled her back to more solid rock. The basket flies from her arms, the contents spilling out as she lands roughly on her back with a loud oomf. Immediately the wolf is looking over her, concern in an unnaturally human way shining in his eyes. With his wet nose, he nudges her arm, whimpering as he checks if she was alright.

Her heart racing wildly in her chest, Gwen sits up and throws her arms around the wolf in gratitude. She says nothing, her tight embrace conveying everything she wishes to tell him. It is when she hears him yelp that she realized her hug was cutting off the circulation in his neck. Shakily, she rises, wiping away the soil that clumped to her body.

"Oh no, the pie!" She declared in dismay.

The wolf canted his head, there was no reason for her to be so upset. He'd still eat it, the parts that did not directly touch the ground anyway. To prove his point, he did just that.

"I hope you're happy." She mutters, before allowing herself a small smile as she watched her friend polish off most of the fallen food. "Come on. Let's get those plants for grandma. And not a word about me almost falling. Grandma'd never let me go off on my own if she ever found out."

Her friend nodded as he licked his chops, muzzle making what appears to be an attempt at a smile.

--

Once upon a time, later, in the same far off forest that the witch Verdona called home lived a young wolf. As far as the random traveler was concerned, he was an ordinary wolf. After all, there was nothing unusual about his obsidian fur or the unpolished-amber hue of his eyes, even if both physical traits gave people the impression that he was not to be trifled with (and indeed one must never cross a wolf, but that was neither here nor there).

Little did they know that the wolf was under an enchantment, and many seasons ago the wolf had been a young boy named Kevin. He had been cursed twice over, the first trapped him inside an animal's form, the second trapped him within the boundaries of the forest. Playing woodland guardian was the excuse, breaking the spell was the reality.

To free himself from his plight, Kevin struck a bargain with the witch. He would watch over the enchantress' granddaughter whenever she came for a visit and in exchange for his services Verdona would lift half the curse. The other half, however, Kevin would have to figure out how to break on his own.

Shadows lurked in every corner of the woods, though only one silhouette seemed to silently pad down a well-worn path leading to a small cottage. The jet-black wolf had just returned from the forest's entrance, having escorted his charge earlier that afternoon. Verdona awaited his arrival from the comfort of her window sill.

_When exactly are you going to make me human again? _Kevin demanded of the witch.

"When the time is right." The elderly woman assured him.

_I want specifics!_ He snapped. _You promised you'd break half of the curse if I watched over Gwen and kept her safe! It's been almost three years and I'm still a wolf!_

"Patience, boy." She warned, sagely blue eyes glittering with power. "Until you meet certain conditions, breaking half the curse won't do you any good. Just keep an eye on my granddaughter and these requirements will be fulfilled soon enough.

"Besides, it's obvious you quite enjoy frolicking about with Gwen." Verdona laughed.

Kevin bristled and growled most vehemently, _I do not frolic!_

"Ha! You and Gwen rolled in flowers, you jumped about in leaves. If _that_ isn't frolicking then I don't know _what_ is." The old woman laughed and slapped her knee in amusement. "And if you two just weren't so precious with all the pranks and tricks you play on each other I'd take you both for fools to even fall for such silly ploys. Ah, to be young again." She sighed wistfully, and promptly tuned out Kevin's presence.

The wolf-lad snorted, ears perking as the real wolves in the forest began to bay at the moon. His animal instincts warred with his human intellect, but the call proves too strong for him and he responds with his own serenade to the silvery sphere in the night sky. It's short lived as he bites back the desire to continue, reminding himself that he was still human.

_It's not fair if you don't tell me what these conditions are!_ He begins to snarl.

"Young 'uns now-a-days, no sense of patience or respect. It's a wonder the rest of you haven't been turned to pond scum." Verdona tersely declared, "I already told you if I tell you what these conditions are there'll be no way for you to meet them. And why are you so anxious to regain your human form? You won't be able to leave the forest to exact your revenge and you have an advantage in surviving as a wolf."

Kevin is at a loss how to respond. He doesn't particularly find solace in confiding with Verdona about his feelings. Especially since the old witch has made it perfectly clear she didn't give a whit about Kevin unless Gwen was involved. And in truth, the budding sorceress was the reason the cursed boy so badly wanted to become human again.

Over the course of the past seasons, Kevin had come to see her as more than a mere charge. He was actually beginning to consider her his friend. His _first_ real friend. Gwen was the first (and so far _only_) person to treat him like a human being despite the fact he walked on all fours and was covered in fur. She never feared his fangs or claws and he had no desire or reason to make her. She never infantilized him the way she did the other animals whenever she talked to them and Kevin knew none of the woodland creatures took offense.

Even if they did, he wouldn't have allowed anyone to speak ill of the young girl.

As of late, the thing Gwen talked about had changed from the rank dishes her paternal grandfather (who incidentally lived in a kingdom far away with a cousin who shared her birthday) made to how some of the boys in the nearby village had begun to look at her differently. And when Kevin thought about it, he couldn't blame them. Her slender form had been filling out and developing hints of curves that most boys his age would find enticing.

Normally he was content to just listen to her one-sided conversations, allowing his body language to convey his thoughts and opinions. But lately, he found he wanted to articulate his thoughts the way humans did. With words and inflections and all manners of gestures that did not involve ears pressing against his head or a tail stretched taut behind him.

Kevin wanted Gwen to know _exactly_ what he thought about this Edwin, this Cash, and this JT. Though in hindsight, it was for the best he doesn't as he would most likely be using words not meant for a young lady's ears.

"Well, boy? Why do you want to be human so badly?" Verdona repeated, fingers drumming on the window sill.

The wolf-lad shook his mind free of his thoughts as if shaking himself free of fleas. His chest puffs out and with a sullen confidence responded: _None of your business._

A mischievous smirk graced the witch's lips and Kevin knows she knows why. "Until you man up, nothing doing pup."


	13. Are You Challenging Me?

**Author's Notes:**  
Woo hoo! _Finally_ after a long while another 50 theme Gwevin drabble! I've been playing around with this one on and off for nearly three or four days. Partly inspired by a journal post Chibi Hime made on her DA account about alternate futures/timelines and partly inspired by the LJ roleplayers (amagicalaura and kevin e levin), this drabble is set in the Ken 10 Universe with minor references to Alien Force. It may not be exactly clear how the title relates to the drabble, but it is there. Somewhere. Yes, yes, subtlety is not really my forte, but how else am I going to improve if I don't keep trying? The Gwevin in this really isn't all that squee inducing but it's a different take on the dark!future-Gwevin. Plus I think there is still some MyTrax residue in my writing X3

--

**Are You Challenging Me?**

The evening is cloaked in a fine mist, lending a quiet, unassuming beauty to the otherwise depressing state of the condemned tenements. The buildings are little more than crumbling walls of brick and mortar, the material of ancient relics when compared to the sleek metal that composes most of the modern structures. But there is a certain charm to the ruins, one that the cover of night serves to enhance together with the muted haze permeating the alleys and streets.

One could go so far as to describe the scene as mysterious, almost romantic. Had it not been for the fact this shroud (heavy with smog and thick with traces of chemical refuse) teetered dangerously close to toxic. The faintest whiff is bitter and acrid, the smell so pungent one can practically _taste_ it settling on one's tongue. It takes a considerable amount of effort not to gag at the noxious stench.

But Gwendolyn greedily gulps down each breath she takes, ignoring the fire in her lungs as they burn in protest at the polluted air. She needs what precious little amount of oxygen she can get to maintain the break-neck pace with which she's currently running. She has to if she intends to elude the figure chasing her as she speeds through the unlit and long-abandoned neighborhood.

Her footfalls, a rapid staccato echoing in quick succession against the walls, are accompanied by no other sound apart from the skittering of vermin. Her hands, balled so tightly into fists her knuckles are white, grip at an energy blaster. She makes no motion to glance over her shoulder to gauge how far she is from her starting point. She makes no attempt to see whether the distance between her and her pursuer has widened or diminished.

Instead she focuses on maintaining the rhythm of her breathing, on the sensation of her feet pounding against the ground, on the fact that if she falters for even the briefest of moments the truth will become apparent.

What _is_ this truth?

That Gwendolyn Tennyson is on foot as opposed to flying and armed with a Plumber-issued weapon rather than her arsenal of spells and mana out of _necessity_.

And not by _choice_.

She tells herself that this is all little more than a minor inconvenience for her. To do so, she takes pride in her athletic prowess. She reminds herself of the level of endurance her body is capable, her high threshold for pain. And more importantly she takes comfort in the fact that this little game of cat and mouse is done on a level playing field.

For the person chasing after her is in the very same boat.

--

"So Cooper, what have you developed now that's so important you needed us to escort you?" Asked the intergalactic hero known as Ben Ten Thousand. Absently, he punched in a series of numbers onto a panel installed along the doors of a small, transport ship. There is a faint beep, an indication that the code is valid and the doors slide open.

The blonde inventor beamed with pride, affectionately patting the small, metal attaché whose length did not reach beyond his elbow. "It's still just a prototype but I like to call it the Stalemate Projector."

"That's an interesting name," Gwendolyn remarked as she appeared behind the pair. "And you promise _this_ one's not liable to explode at the slightest turbulence?"

"Yes," Cooper frowned, protectively cradling his creation against his body. "Are you going to keep hounding me over that one time?"

"One time?" Ben chuckled, "How about one dozen times?"

"I cannot be held responsible for the volatile nature of my prototypes. That's why they're called prototypes and not finished products." The blonde defensively declares. "Besides, I'm keeping it in the portable stasis field, which I might add I designed as well."

The three stride into the ship, Ben marching to the driver's seat to prepare for their departure while Gwendolyn stays close but not _too_ close to Cooper. She's wary of his invention, but from the casual way she carries herself there is no visible indication of her discomfort. "What is it exactly?"

Cooper brushes away the stray strands of hair from his face before he grins, "I'll _show_ you when we've arrived at Mount Rushmore."

Little did anyone know, the blonde would be placed in a position to demonstrate his creation's purpose sooner than expected. And under far less favorable conditions.

The transport ship sped through the highways, flanked on either side by undercover police hovercars. The cousins grew instinctively tense as they neared the biggest hurdle to their mission. They would have to pass through the Industrial Wasteland. Decades ago before alien technology was introduced to Earth, this portion of land had been the site of many chemical processing factories and housings. But the businesses and homes were eventually abandoned due to one too many accidents.

Alien technology had done everything it could to reduce the level of toxicity, but the land needed to fester, it required time to work its own brand of healing before it could be rendered usable. It was livable, to an extent. Destitute and crumbling, the tenements were still used by a small number of individuals, the poor, the runaways, the desperate, those who have fallen from society's grace.

This route was not the safest to take, but it was the only way the trio could reach the main Plumber base. Everyone hopes that things will be uneventful as they drive through. The last thing they wanted was undue attention, especially considering that there have been several attempts at Cooper's works and subsequently his life.

Most of the time, the blonde was a recluse, keeping himself and his designs under heavy guard. It was a manner almost identical to that of the Galvan genius Azmuth. But the human proved to be a more accessible target, which was what inspired the blonde to conceptualize his latest invention.

"You seem extra proud of this," Gwendolyn notes, "It kinda reminds of the time you helped Grandpa Max design the null void egg."

"That little thing? Please, once I perfect _this_ baby we won't need the null void at all!" Cooper's smile is eager, excited, manic in the way a child would be if given free reign in a toy store. Or a candy store. Or both at the same time.

"Oh now you _really_ gotta show us a sneak peek." Ben declares from the driver's seat before setting it on auto pilot. Surely he had enough time for a quick look.

It doesn't take much to convince the blonde. In fact, he was practically flipping the latches open to reveal what appears to be an exact duplicate of a handheld energy blaster. The gleam in Cooper's blue eyes remind the cousins that looks can be deceiving.

"Behold the Stalemate Projector. It is designed to create a pulse that can render any ability, any gadget or device more potent than your standard run-of-the-mill energy blaster, completely defunct." His grin widens, "Think of it as the _ultimate_ equalizer. Say Animo has once again concocted a grotesque abomination against nature. All you need to do is point this at said abomination and whatever powers it has been modified to possess is nullified."

"So if a fire-breathing, half-iguana half-avian beast gets a blast, it can't breathe fire anymore?" Ben cants his head in thought.

"Yes, but if it could fly it would still be able to as physical paralysis isn't really what I designed this thing to do. I'm still working out the bugs on how to control the length of time it's effective as it can range anywhere from two seconds to permanent."

Gwendolyn frowns, "Tell me you installed a safety on that thing."

"What do you take me for? A child? Of _course_ all future versions will have one." Cooper huffs, snapping the lid and the latches shut.

"That's good to know, at least the chances of it suddenly going off while we're in range is smaller." Ben teases before heading back to the wheel. The red-head doesn't look as convinced, she didn't miss how Cooper managed to avoid answering her question.

But before she could press him for further information, one of the patrol hovercars explodes. The noxious fumes that shroud the Industrial Wasteland contains pockets of highly flammable gas and it only takes the briefest spark to turn a small act of combustion into a massive explosion.

The blast throws the transport ship into a spin before crashing headlong against one of the many abandoned buildings. The other hovercar swerves away from the wreckage, only to be halted as an enormous mishmash of alien features smashes a flame-infused tentacle onto its roof several times until it is little more than a crumpled wad of metal. The creature's form shifts, shrinking down to the distinctly imposing figure of Kevin Eleven Thousand.

The cousins waste no time exiting the transport ship's remains, even if the air of the environment is nausea inducing to lesser men. The charms of Bezel are glowing menacingly along Gwendolyn's sleeve, her eyes alight with mana. Ben was in his favored Tetramand body, hands balled into fists, all four of them.

A cybernetic armor dons itself upon Cooper almost instantly along with a face-shield that doubles as a data collector and a gasmask. In one hand is the standard Plumber-issued energy blaster, Cooper sees no reason to reject the classics in emergencies such as this. The attaché is secured to the blonde's body and with the two cousins as his major line of defense, even the threat that was casually strolling towards them would be hard pressed in stealing the prototype.

But Gwendolyn sees the cross-shaped scar tug upwards as Kevin sneers, clearly unimpressed. "I thought you'd have more gnats buzzing about you. I guess this doohickey your crackpot inventor came up with isn't all that important to defend."

The cousins feel no stinging barb from his words, Kevin rarely throws personal insults unless it involved the Tennysons or an individual who had slighted him over some prior job. But Cooper feels entitled to defend his talent and his creation, albeit verbally "You're not getting your hands on my work. You probably don't even have the mental faculties to operate it."

The insult is met with a feral grin.

Gwendolyn resists the urge to smack her forehead while Ben resists the urge to smack Cooper. Up until that point, this was merely an arrangement between Kevin and the unknown individual who had hired him to steal the prototype. This had been a job, just business, nothing more nothing less. Unfortunately, with that simple statement the inventor had uttered, this whole thing was now personal.

And when Kevin took things personally, the cousins knew they were going to be dealing with a different creature altogether.

In a burst of speed, Kevin has Cooper by the shoulders and lifts him (armor and all) off the ground. Parts of Kevin extend out from his sides, morphing into talon-tipped hands before clamping down onto the attaché, the sound of metal snapping ensues. The blonde has little time to react but he does, nevertheless and aims his blaster at the criminal. Red-skinned shoulders ram into the dark-haired man, freeing Cooper from his grasp.

Unfortunately, Kevin had damaged the latches and the impact jarred the attaché open, causing the weapon inside to tumble out. Emerald eyes widen and Gwendolyn's voice takes on a reverberating quality as she chants an invisible force spell.

But the barrier is dispelled as the weapon discharges, catching everyone and everything within a five mile radius in a feedback pulse reminiscent of the Omnitrix's. The cybernetic armor literally flaked off Cooper as he was thrown back a good distance away. And like many scientists, he was _very_ pleased to discover just how effective his creation was.

Initially.

Reality decided to sink in and remind him that he was in danger of losing his prototype (and possibly his life) while Kevin was in the vicinity. He scrambles to his feet, scanning for any sign of the dark-haired criminal or of the Tennyson cousins.

He spies Ben, completely human, rubbing the back of his head and staring at the Omnitrix in dismay. At his feet was the Stalemate Projector, or it looked like the projector, Cooper isn't certain from this distance.

Cooper manages to spot the coughing figure that was Gwendolyn, the charms of Bezel have lost their glow. And she too has a prototype-lookalike near her. One of these _has_ to be the original but which one? He mental decides to give his next prototype a more distinct appearance.

If there was a next time.

Of those caught in the discharge, Kevin seemed the most disoriented. The multitude of foreign DNA must be making it harder for him to gather his bearings. The dark-haired criminal didn't even seem certain what just happened. Cooper takes note of this and inwardly beams at the success of his weapon.

"Cooper! Get to the base, Gwendolyn'll meet you there with the prototype!" Ben yells, scooping up the device by his feet while Gwendolyn does the same. There was no further exchange of words between the three Plumbers as they split up.

--

Gwendolyn grimaces at the memory of how she ended up in such a state of inconvenience. She winces as the ache in her lungs spread out through her body, coursing through her veins and down to her legs. She feels them quake but growls through grit teeth, _Ignore the pain, Gwendolyn. You've been through worse. Stop whining and shake Kevin off your trail._

Why he chose to go after her the red-head didn't know. From the way Ben sounded so sure she had the weapon, Gwendolyn was almost certain she was supposed to be a decoy. But then again, she wasn't certain the energy blaster in her hand _wasn't_ the prototype. And the red-head promises herself that the next mission requiring her to escort Cooper, she was placing his invention in a null void egg.

Her ears strain to pick up any indication of Kevin's presence, wishing she had her powers to make a quick aura-scan. She reminds herself how she had managed to fight back without her powers, and she was just a ten-year-old child then. Surely now, as an experienced Plumber, she should be able to hold her own with no problem.

She rounds a corner and skids to a halt when she feels a gust of wind breeze past her. Her knees threaten to buckle but she plants her feet and braces herself. Her heart pounds wildly, threatening to burst in her chest. She believes this is due more to the adrenaline flowing through her body rather than the imposing figure standing before her.

But her blood chills and this she doesn't mind attributing to the expression on Kevin's face. Because he's smiling at her, a malicious, calculating smile. And she knows _he_ knows what she has been trying to hide from him this whole time.

"You can't use your powers, can you?" He purrs low, relishing the way she visibly stiffened at his accusation.

Gwendolyn doesn't answer, but she knows her struggle to regulate her breathing is all the answer Kevin needs. She spins on her heels and makes another mad dash away from him. Only to collide against his muscular, leather-clad chest.

"I'm still faster than you, Gwendolyn." He murmurs into her ear before nuzzling her neck. The red-head snarls and pushes herself away from him, grateful that her cheeks are already flush from the run. She would be even more grateful for being ignorant of the fact the apples of her cheeks had blossomed to a fuller shade of red at his touch.

Her back is suddenly against a brick wall and her wrists are pinned on either side of her head. Her fingers tighten even more around the energy blaster as Kevin leans close to leer "I'm still stronger than you, Gwendolyn."

She doesn't dignify him with any response other than a sharp glare and hissing "What's your point?"

He chuckles, a deep rumble in his throat, "I thought I'd give you some reasons why you shouldn't bother resisting and just hand the device over."

"You seem to forget I don't scare easily." She glowers and indeed this is true. Gwendolyn Tennyson is a force to be reckoned with, powers or no powers.

But so is Kevin Levin.

He looks thoughtful for a moment, but his grip around her wrists never go slack. "I'm not trying to scare you, Gwen." The way he says her name is wan, wistful, almost longing.

And the red-head can almost hear the teenager she had fallen in love with all those years ago.

He frowns when he catches the look of nostalgia in her eyes. "I don't want to have to hurt you."

"You think you can hurt me?" She scoffs despite knowing full well he can. And _has_. Her words are more bitter than they are challenging.

His russet eyes soften briefly before they flicker with madness. "I can rip your arm off if I wanted to, Gwendolyn."

And the red-head knows she's listening to the man who broke her heart in the not-so-distant past.

"You also seem to forget I get intimidated even less." she snaps through grit teeth.

"Does this mean I have to make you _want_ to give me the prototype?" His eyes gleam in wicked delight and Gwendolyn feels her heart flutter.

"What are you-" the rest of her words are silenced when Kevin crushes his mouth against hers. Emerald eyes widen in outrage and she bites down on his lips in response. When he pulls back, the wild, manic grin on his face confuses her long enough for him to pluck the weapon from her hand with ease.

She is speechless at his actions despite the insults and expletives begging to escape. Instead, she stammers incoherently in disbelief. It was only when he smirks and partakes of her lips a second time that her fury reached a level capable of cancelling out the effects of Cooper's Stalemate Projector. Her knee flies up into his gut, the charms of Bezel lending her incredible strength.

Kevin stumbles back, visibly winded by the unexpected amount of power behind the motion. "Still feisty as ever." He coughs while grinning, he still has a firm hold on the prototype. "But you won't be able to get this back from me."

Gwendolyn's aura crackles with a surge of mana and magic, she narrows her eyes at Kevin, "We'll just see about _that_."

It occurs to Gwendolyn that Kevin could still outrun her should he choose to flee. And yet here he was, blocking and dodging her blows and responding in turn. There had to be a reason behind his decision, why he would want to prolong their interaction. She doesn't know what he's thinking, she hasn't tried to understand him or his actions ever since the dark-haired teen she was once so madly in love with had become the maddened, intergalactic criminal she was now battling with in an almost macabre dance.

Was it pride?

Was it malice?

Or, dare she hope, did he simply wanted to be with her regardless of the circumstance?


	14. Can You Hear Me?

**Can You Hear Me?**

Ten-year-old Gwen is not happy.

Not happy in the least.

It is evident in her knitted brows, the tight line that was her lips, the small ball she had scrunched herself up in the corner of the hospital-white enclosure. Her emerald eyes are focused on nothing in particular, but they glitter and glow with frustrated impatience. Absently she begins to tap her foot on the tiled floor until the incessant sound is answered by an inhuman growl.

"Quit that." the massive figure towering beside her muttered.

And after pointedly staring at him, Gwen obliged the eleven-year-old mutant his request not because she feared him and his hulking form.

Admittedly, she _was_ frightened of him when she first woke to a dull throbbing in the back of her head not to mention unfamiliar surroundings.

She had gotten to unsteady feet, releasing a groan as she slowly grew aware of a strange heat radiating from behind her. She glanced over her shoulder and her eyes grew saucer-wide at the sight of Kevin. Instinctively, she shrank away, back pressed against what felt like glass but looked like tiles.

"Kevin 11!" she hisses, waiting for the surge of recollection to hit her any moment.

"And you're Gwen." He responds, his tone casual, almost bored.

The young girl narrowed her gaze at him suspiciously while struggling to remember where she had been and what she was doing prior to her waking. Oddly, it was all a blank, not a blurred vision, not a hazy memory.

A complete and utter blank.

It doesn't occur to Gwen to hide her confusion, not until she hears a labored, almost grating sound that turns out to be Kevin's chuckles.

"Can't remember anything, can you?" He gives her a toothy smirk.

"I don't know what you did to me or where you brought me but if this is another lame attempt at getting Ben I'll-"

"It ain't me who did it." He snorts, unimpressed and even less intimidated by the young girl's temper. He hasn't seen what she was capable of, doesn't know the extent of her magic and the strength she possessed. And so long as he made no motion to indication he was going to harm her, he wouldn't learn about her abilities until later in his young life.

"Besides," he continues, "We're in the same boat."

What compelled him to tell Gwen, Kevin didn't know. But whatever it was that did, it also compelled the red-head to believe the older boy.

Without warning, the room shifts, the bright fluorescents overhead dim to near pitch-black, the tiled walls alter into faded brick, the hospital-white floor smudges into asphalt-paved streets. A streetlamp flickers to life, revealing a dingy alley leading to an impenetrable tunnel of darkness.

And the two youths find themselves short of breath despite having done nothing physically strenuous. But their muscles ache, their lungs burn for air and their skin glistens with a faint film of sweat. Gwen is in Kevin's vulpamancer arms, her ankle is swollen and her face is twisted in pain. The older boy fares no better, one of his gossamer-green wings is torn to shreds effectively grounding him.

"What's going on?" Gwen winces at the sharp searing pain from her ankle, completely bewildered and terrified.

Kevin says nothing, does nothing to betray his ignorance of their situation. He uses his gasping to catch his breath as a reason for his silence. Memories, visions, they suddenly flash into their minds in a deluge.

They had escaped. From a facility of sorts, broken out of a holding cell, fled from painful experimentations. Gwen had devised the plan, acted as decoy and distraction. Kevin had provided the muscle, acted as an amalgamated meat-shield and living armory.

They had been running. Past corridors and hallways, through guarded doors and locked gates, down empty streets and deserted alleyways. Rapid beating of mighty wings hummed, Kevin took to the sky. Reverberating words were uttered, Gwen followed suit.

They had been chased. Men, women, faceless and featureless, dressed in black silhouettes, armed with guns and rifles far too advanced for Earth's level. Muzzles smoked, shoulders pushed back into their sockets from wicked strong recoil.

There was a shot in the dark. A damn _lucky_ shot in the dark.

A beam shoots through wings, a petrosapian arm reaches out and is caught by two slim, human hands. Kevin proves to be too heavy for Gwen to support and their descent swiftly follows. The older boy's wings desperately flap to slow them down together with his pyronite arm spewing fire. His efforts aren't enough to stop them from crash-landing but it is enough to enable him to twists his body and have his tetramand torso absorb the brunt of the fall.

Gwen summons the winds to lessen the impact. Her fiery tresses whip about her face as another beam streaks past a hair's breadth from her temple. It misses its mark but it is enough to break her concentration and the gusts dissipate.

There was a dull thud followed in a split-second by an ominous snap.

Kevin grunts, none the worse for wear save the numbing ache gnawing at his back where his injured wings are. Gwen tries to blink back the pain-induced tears but is unsuccessful. Her ankle is broken, the skin already turning an angry shade of red. Trembling fingers gingerly touch the swelling and she cries out.

The older boy turns sharply towards her and sees what made her scream. He glowers inwardly, telling himself it's not his fault she's hurt. He didn't ask her to take his hand. It was _she_ who reached out to him. She did it of her own volition.

And he waits for her to blame him, his verbal counter-strikes and arguments at the ready. What she says next, however, was unexpected. "Are you hurt?"

He blinks, all three eyes, and dumbly nods. "My wings..." he gestured.

"But you can run, right? Get out of here, try to find my Grandpa and tell him what happened. Ben won't trust you but my Grandpa will. I'll act as decoy again so you can escape."

"What makes you so sure I won't just run?"

It is Gwen's turn to blink, and she stares at him in annoyance despite breaking into a cold sweat, "Because if you do run, you'll owe me and I promise you, you won't want that."

Under different circumstances, Kevin would have laughed at the confidence and defiance Gwen was showing him. Instead, he proceeded to run.

Not before scooping up the young girl into his furred arms that is, an action that was met with no protest from the girl in question.

How long they ran, neither knew, but for the moment it seemed like they lost whoever it was pursuing them. Kevin took this moment to gather his bearings, petrosapien arm resting heavily atop a dumpster for a few moments until the object groans in his grasp and gives way to his weight.

At the sound of crumpling metal, something glimmers in the tunnel.

"Who's there?!" Kevin is the first to make demands, shifting Gwen in his furred limbs to distance her from his pyronite arm. When he is met with silence, the snarl that snuck past his piscciss volann maw was muffled by the roar of his flames as they surged towards the tunnel.

Whoever it was, whatever it was lurking in the shadows, the fires ricocheted off it and back towards the pair.

An invisible barrier is erected, diverting the inferno up and away from Kevin and Gwen.

_This is getting too dark..._

The pair stiffens at the words and look to each other, the confusion in their eyes declaring neither of them to be the source. The streetlamp winked out briefly and is replaced by the sterile glare of florescent lights. The alleyway is gone, having reverted back to the room with hospital-white floors and tiled walls.

Kevin is still holding Gwen, though she is no longer injured and neither seems to feel the fatigue and exhaustion from earlier. Kevin expects himself to drop the red-head upon his own volition at any moment.

But he doesn't.

He continues to hold her in his furred arms, allowing himself to notice how she wasn't revolted by his misshapen form. She had made no attempt to set herself down, not when they were in the alley and not now that they were back in wherever _this_ place was.

"Kevin?" her voice is soft, hesitant, "You can put me down now."

The mutant obliges her request, but not _too_ quickly. "Did all that really just happen?"

"I don't know. But whatever it was, I get the feeling it's not over yet."

Gwen's intuition would prove to be correct for the next thing either knew, the room rippled. When everything cleared, they were in a limestone cave. Only the walls were jewel-encrusted and between them hovered a small, multi-hued gem the size of Gwen's palm.

Their attire had changed, gone were the tattered shorts Kevin wore; gone were the cat-print shirt and pedal pushers Gwen sported. A black fabric spanned across the entirety of Kevin's form, stopping just short of his shoulders, ankles and the base of his tail. Gwen was now garbed in cerulean velvet, gossamer sleeves flaring out and ending at her wrists. The hem of her dress was undone, tattered and torched in some sections.

An ominous aura filled the cave air, it was oppressive, intense, and it made it nearly impossible to breathe. The next breath they took brought in more than just air into their bodies. Memories rushed into their minds.

They had been searching. For this little bauble suspended in mid-air, an object of immeasurable power. Gwen had become aware of its existence, believed it to be more than just myth or a figment of yester-years. Kevin merely had a notion of it, but decided he wanted it, needed it more than anyone else.

They had been journeying. Past blockades and gateways, through great expanses of decaying forests, down frozen gullies and boiling streams. Ground devouring strides were made, on horseback and on foot.

Their paths had crossed. More times than once, each seeing the other beyond what Glamour or Curse that shielded them. They held each other in contempt out of principle and out of blood-ties but denied themselves the luxury of allegiance to their own beating hearts.

_This is getting too melodramatic..._

The voice is faint, but Kevin and Gwen hear it again. It is female, ageless, neither young nor old. Its tone is annoyed, upset, but its ire isn't directed at either of them. The gem emits a blinding sheen, and again the pair is back in the strange room.

"Okay this is _fucked up._" Kevin growls.

Gwen agrees, though she would have used less profane words. She plants herself in a corner, curling into a ball, "My head hurts."

Kevin begrudgingly admits that this is all proving too confusing for him as well, Galvan-intellect or not. He plants himself beside Gwen and the pair waits in anxious silence.

Eventually, Gwen starts to tap her feet absently on the tiled floor and stops when Kevin growls in annoyance. The mutant grunts and decides to return the favor by repeatedly smacking his tail against the wall.

They hear shattering glass, but the wall is intact, unscathed.

_I hate this Dry Spell!_

Again the voice.

"Hey! Hey you! Whoever you are! We want answers and we want it now!" The older boy yells, fists clenched.

_Wait, are you talking to me?_

The two can almost hear the blinking accompanying the question.

_Wow. Just. Wow. I guess that Dry Spell must have made the fourth wall weaker than I thought._

"Fourth-"Gwen began.

"Wall?" Kevin finished.

_Eep! Could uh, could you two pretend to have never heard me talk? And pretend you were never in the scenario-room?_

"You're not making any sense." Kevin hissed.

"Wait, fourth wall? Characters? Scenarios?" realization dawns upon Gwen. "No way. This can't be happening."

She feels herself being picked up by her shoulders and raised until eye level with Kevin, "Explanation. Now." He barks.

Gwen sighed, as unbelievable as it sounds, she responds "We somehow got sent to an alternate universe where we're not real people but characters in a story."

"WHAT!?" his yell resonates in the room.

Gwen winced at the volume, "It could be worse. We could be in a fanfic."

_Uh... oh gee! Guess what! I can totally write you guys back home to whatever reality you originally came from!_

The young girl stares up in disbelief before groaning, "Can you _be_ any more deus ex machina? We _must_ be in a fanfic."

--

**Author's Notes:**  
This is the prize from my Gwevin fanart/fanfic contest that Chibi Hime won. Apart from the DA subscription, she got a one-shot drabble with a theme of her choice. Her theme was "Mutant!Gwevin with a twist." Sadly, I'm no Jeffrey Archer and I'm terrible at twists (if Traps is anything to go by). Hopefully this is "twist" enough for you Chibi Hime n.n And yes, I acknowledge being a no-talent hack for breaking the Fourth Wall and combining a 50 theme drabble with a prize-request. If this isn't to your liking, Hime, lemme know and gimme a different theme (no twists plz? D8)


	15. Smile

**Smile**

_She hates everything about him._

Gwendolyn had prayed she was wrong. That the figure skulking about the outskirts of town was just a random drifter or a harmless vagabond and not the last man she ever wanted to see.

It was one of the few times she hated being always right.

She knew she should have alerted Ben and her grandfather, set the compound on lockdown, provide backup to her cousin and whatever security measures they had.

And yet here she was. Standing before the fugitive that was Kevin Eleven Thousand. Should she even be surprised he had managed to escape?

_His arrogance._

"Stay away from my family," Gwendolyn warns, her voice cold, eyes glittering with menace.

"Even Devlin?" Kevin, his voice amused rather than offended, eyes glittering with his own unique brand of malice, "The brat _is_ mine, you know. You can't deny a father his right to see his son."

Her brows knit together, the charms of Bezel aglow in anticipation, "From what I've heard, you were hardly a father to my nephew."

_His cruel, vicious ways._

Kevin cocked his head, "Nephew?"

He repeats the word. Once. Twice. Three times before laughing, openly, snidely, "From the way you said it, I could have sworn you said _son_."

And his eyes light up in glee at the clenching of Gwendolyn's fists, at the rage that briefly flits across the features she struggles to maintain blank.

"Aww, did I hit a nerve, Gwen?" he asks in mock concern.

He was baiting her, she knew it. She's not going to give him the satisfaction of getting under her skin even if they are both well aware of his success.

_His disregard for life._

"You can't really blame the guys, Gwen." Kevin declared, counting on his fingers, "For one: you're a Tennyson and there's the whole Plumber thing keeping you off-world. For two: you're a strong, independent woman and most guys would probably piss in their pants if you so much as looked at them funny. And for three: You're marked.

"No one lives to regret touching something that was mine." He glowers darkly, "No one."

_And his smile. _Especially _his smile._

"Do you play surrogate mother to him? Isn't that job supposed to be for Ben's bitch?" Kevin continued, absently adding "_You'd_ make a better mother for him."

The softening of his eyes doesn't fool Gwendolyn. Kevin knows how to push her buttons too well for her to think anything of his apart from malice and threats are genuine.

"Someone's feeling chatty today." A blatant segue but Gwendolyn doesn't care, "What's the matter? The voices in your head giving you the silent treatment for getting caught? Again?"

She emphasizes the last word, a barb intended to spur him into a rage.

Instead his lips crack into a grin.

_Because she remembered what it used to look like. _

Her blood chills at his reaction, it was not what she had expected but she maintains her composure. She doesn't move an inch, even as he approaches her with an ominous nonchalance only he was capable of pulling.

"Funny you should mention the voices, Gwen." He stops three feet from her, "Do you want to know what they're telling me to do now to this dump of a city? To those ignorant citizens? To your cousin and those brats of his?"

And suddenly they're a hair's breadth apart when he whispers, "To you?"

_When his arrogance had been smug confidence._

Gwendolyn refuses to back down, not even so much as blinking even as her heart races like mad.

"Don't you tire of it, Kevin?" She ventures, gaze rising from his toned, muscular chest to stare into russet eyes.

"Depends."

"We both know how this always starts, you seeking revenge for something that was your own fault to begin with." She spies the clenching of his jaw, the cross-shaped scar stretching ever so minutely.

_When his cruel, vicious ways had been merely selfish and self-serving. _

"We both know how this always ends," Gwendolyn states evenly, taking a calculated step backwards.

He quirks a brow, "Really now?"

"Yes," she frowns, "Ben or my grandfather puts a stop to your madness and ships you off to the Null Void for the nth time."

Kevin leans in close, so close she can feel his breath hot against her skin. "Should I take you not including yourself to mean you understand you can't take me on?"

_When his disregard for life had been a general disinterest for those not directly related to him._

She tilts her chin upward, tiptoeing until their lips almost touch and she whispers, breathily "No." Before driving her magically strength-enhanced fist deep into his gut and propelling herself into the sky.

Kevin doubles over in pain, russet eyes flickering into an inhuman crimson as fangs begin to protrude from his lips.

Gwendolyn is not afraid of him, "You should take it to mean I will kill you if you so much as _look_ at my family."

_She remembers it so clearly._

The dark-haired mutant just laughed, "Your cousin and that Way Big of his could only stall me. What do you think you can do to me?"

He roars, form shifting, expanding to the monstrosity that his evolved mutation gifted and burdened him with. A magma-infused tentacle shoots out, curling around empty air. His claw-tipped hand slashes after the red-head soaring just out of reach.

_His smirks were commonplace, but his smiles were rare. A gift. A treasure. One he only shared with her and her cousin._

From behind him, he hears the resonance in her voice, feels the energy coursing through his body sputter before suddenly erupting in an explosion of sparks. He screams in pain, limbs lashing out, trying to catch the elusive sorceress.

"I'm not Ben. I don't fight like him." Gwendolyn narrows her emerald eyes, "I don't need Way Big's size or strength to take you on, Kevin."

_It was beautiful, in a roughish, charming way, and warm with the faintest hint of shyness._

"Always underestimated, eh Gwen?" Kevin chuckled in between pain-induced gnashing. His body reverts to his human shape, and this form is the only thing about the dark-haired mutant that Gwendolyn _can_ describe as human.

His posture is that of a wounded animal, ready to launch an instinctive attack. His eyes were clouded in crimson, the edges tinged in obsidian.

And there was that smile.

_A far cry from the twisted, feral version it was now. It had been warped by the insanity, the bloodlust, the rage._

Gwendolyn descends to the ground, a palm raised towards Kevin in warning, a potential promise that she can and _will_ make good her threat to end his life. All he needs to do is simply give her a reason.

_Kevin Levin was long gone, the man before her was the one who killed him. And for that reason she can never forgive him._

--

**Author's Note:  
**Yes, this is an incredibly short drabble, I don't think I'm mentally capable of writing anything lengthier. My attention span is diminishing, I can't help it. And due to certain real stuff going on in my life right now, do not expect any happy, Gwevin-fluff from me. Not for a good, _long_ while.


	16. Keeping A Secret

**Author's Notes: **

Part 50-theme Gwevin, part fic-gift for Chibi Hime who had wanted mutant!Gwevin and partly inspired by a fanart a friend IRL drew for my birthday *w* I've been preoccupied with NaNoWriMo during November, so I'm extremely rusty when it comes to writing Gwevin. In a way I think this piece can sort of act like a prequel to one of my earlier drabbles XD Not telling which one though.

-----

**Keeping a Secret**

There was a reason most people moved to the suburbs when they wanted to settle down or have a family. Your neighborhood had lawns, white picket fences, backyards, a mail route, even a neighborhood safety watch. You knew your neighbors by their first name, knew who were simply being polite, who were genuinely being friendly and who were naturally being crotchety.

Of course, the factor of safety comes into play more often than not. People liked the suburbs because of the general lack of danger. Certainly there were things happening all the time, someone accidentally dinged someone else's car, someone had their paper stolen from their porch, someone's kids refused to get off of someone else's lawn and etcetera.

Trivial. Mundane. Normal.

Eleven-year-old Gwen Tennyson liked normal. Ever since that fateful summer vacation she and her cousin had with their grandfather, her life was anything _but_ normal. She's seen and experienced weirder things in the past year than most people have in their entire lives.

It had been an adventure but it had also been tiring. The hero's life wasn't something she wanted to throw herself into. At least not yet. Not when there were so many things left for her to learn, to experience. She had no qualms about moving to Bellwood, living in middle class suburbia without the hustle and bustle of the big city.

But sometimes, when the school day had been particularly uneventful, when there were no tests to study for, no project to research on, Gwen would find herself digging up a mask from the bottom of her drawer. Her hands would run across the feline shape, fingers fiddling with the tassels and smile at how a simple Halloween costume was so much more.

And sometimes, when the adventures she used to find annoying were surprisingly sparse, when opportunities to go hero alongside her cousin were few and far in between, she'd dig up the rest of the ensemble along with the mask. When the dark of evening fell and there was nothing of interest in the news, she'd sneak out of the house, climb on her bike and relive the events of her past summer.

Tonight had been one such night.

Gwen would have invited her cousin to come along had he and his family not been away on a trip.

_Looks like Lucky Girl is prowling solo._ She thinks to herself, somewhat warily. Her costume has grown snug since she wore it last, perhaps a sign that this would be the last time Lucky Girl would see some action? She sighs, wishing that things will be at least somewhat memorable before she puts away the costume permanently.

She had no idea her wish was going to come true.

There was a reason Gwen only went out as Lucky Girl when things were quiet. She knew better than to put herself in danger and the thrill of sneaking out without her parents' knowledge was usually enough for her.

However, tonight seemed different. There was no way she could explain the silent hum of energy in the air, the unseen sparks that made her aura crackle. She knew something was going to happen, she could _feel_ it.

As Gwen quietly pedaled into the shopping district, doing her best to remain unseen on her final patrol, she heard something from a nearby alley. She pauses, peering into the darkness, half-expecting some animal to emerge.

In a way, she was right.

A pinprick of light flickered on and off in mimicry of a firefly. It drew closer, the sounds of metal cans being knocked to the ground and scraping against the walls echoing. Finally, a large, hulking figure stumbled out, badly injured and completely disoriented.

Emerald eyes widened when she recognized the bloodied amalgam of alien parts that fell to his knees with an exhausted groan and a growl of pain. She didn't mean for the gasp that escaped her throat to reach his ears. She supposes even if she had kept completely silent, the twitching of the sensitive quills along his arms meant he had managed to detect her presence.

Kevin 11 lets out a roar upon realizing he wasn't alone, petrosapian arm sharpening into a dagger-point. He wastes no words, gives no warning, and charges on instinct. He'd learned it was always better to strike first.

He doesn't know how long he's been trapped in the null void. There was no sunrise, no sunset, no distinct way to mark the passage of time. There was nothing in the null void, just an endless expanse of darkness and danger.

The need to survive turned him feral, almost. The desire to escape kept him sane, almost.

It takes several exploding spheres to the chest to make him realize a direct assault would get him no where. His pyronite arm ignites the air around him in a fiery arc before sending a jet of fire towards the other being.

He was in no condition to keep fighting, having nearly lost to a grotesque, reptilian canine crossbreed just before the portal opened. Kevin didn't care what world the portal would have lead to, any place was better than the null void. Pushing through the searing pain of broken bones, torn lepidopteran wings and overused muscles, he charged into the vortex to emerge in that dark alley.

"Kevin stop!"

And he stops mid-strike from the shock of hearing another human's voice. He doesn't recognize whom the voice belongs to, nearly doesn't understand the words that had been spoken. It feels like forever since he last heard someone, _anyone_ talk in the human tongue. Let alone say his name.

Realizing he wasn't going to be attacked, he sinks to his knees in agony though he keeps his fist still aflame to be safe. Three eyes take in the buildings, the cars, and more importantly the small, masked human girl floating in front of him.

He blinks in confusion, had he been away so long that humans had evolved into something else? Or maybe this world simply resembled Earth? His thoughts are interrupted as he tenses when he sees her land and takes a step towards him.

"I'm not going to hurt you." Gwendolyn promised, hands held before her to show she was unarmed, the glow of her aura dimming.

Kevin doesn't trust her, _can't_ trust her. He had used that routine before, getting the other creatures in the null void to lower their guard long enough for him to do them in.

"Back!" he barks, the fire burning brighter.

"You're hurt." The compassion in her voice was sincere, but he couldn't bring himself to believe her.

"Back." he snarls through grit, piscciss volan teeth. Three eyes widen when he sees her remove the mask, giving him an unobstructed view of sun-kissed hair and vivid, emerald eyes.

He knew those eyes, didn't he? A low growl rumbles in his chest, "Tennyson."

She nods, swallowing in the process. Gwendolyn knew the dark-haired mutant was dangerous, knew his behavior was unstable. But she also knew that despite the massive size, despite the rage and the misshapen form, he was only twelve.

He was just a kid.

Like her.

"Kevin, let me help you." With each word she takes one careful step towards him.

The boy within the behemoth allowed her to draw near, if only to sneer "_How?_"

Gloves are removed from small hands before being shoved into a pocket. The young girl says nothing, but places a palm over a visible bruise her earlier spell had given him. He winces and grabs at her wrist with one of his furred hands, easily prying her off.

"You wanted to see what I can do." She looks up at him, hoping he can't hear the thundering pace of her heartbeat. "I won't hurt you, I promise."

He grunts a warning but eases his hold on her.

Her hand glows blue, her voice reverberating despite its faint whisper and warmth spreads through Kevin. The sensation was not unpleasant, in fact it felt soothing. When the young girl lifts her palm, the bruise is gone.

"How?"

She shakes her head, quickly proceeding to heal any badly bleeding wounds. "No time to explain. I have to get you out of here before people come around to check the noise."

He blinks when she gets to her feet, rights a toppled bicycle and asks "Can you run?"

Even if the searing agony hadn't been reduced to a dull, tolerable ache, Kevin would have nodded at her question. The sound of an approaching crowd prompts his instincts to demand they get away from the incoming swarm.

"Over here." she murmurs and quietly leads the way.

Gwendolyn comes to a stop at the high, grassy knoll between the suburbs and the shopping district. Glancing over her shoulders to make certain Kevin hadn't lagged behind. For someone of his size, his movements were remarkably silent. A result of his time spent in the null void.

She shudders at the thought, feels guilt and shame for what she and her family had put him through. It had been justified at the time. Kevin had been trying to kill them.

Not hurt. _Kill_.

But they could have done something. _Should_ have done something. No one deserved that fate. She wishes was stronger, wiser. She finds herself unable to look at him.

And Kevin misunderstands this as disgust. He glowers, tries to lumber off on his own only feel warm, slim hands grab at his vulpimancer arm.

"You're not going anywhere." She tells him firmly.

"Not going back!" he snarls angrily, finding speech difficult and uncomfortable after a long period of disuse.

"Back where? The district?"

Ridges formed where brows would knit together, "Null void."

"Of course not." She remarks, "But you're in pretty bad shape. Let me bring you to grandpa, he'll know what to do."

"NO TELLING!" he roars, louder than intended as he easily pulls himself free. He can't afford to let anyone know he's escaped. Kevin doesn't know who _they_ are just that they're out there and that they'll want to throw him back into the Null Void. Vulpimancer hands suddenly clamp onto Gwen's shoulders.

"Kevin, y-you're hurting me." She cringes.

And normally the mutant wouldn't care whether or not someone was in pain. The beast within the behemoth relished it, because it meant _he_ wouldn't be in pain. But the boy, the _human_ boy in the behemoth felt otherwise. He makes no apology for his actions, just grunts and lets her go.

"No telling." He mutters.

Gwendolyn takes a deep breath and realizes she can't reason with Kevin. Not at this point in time, not with his current state of mind. Reluctantly she agrees, "Okay. I won't tell. But only if you promise you won't try to hurt anyone."

Kevin knew he was in no condition to hunt down Ben. For now he'll lay low, recuperate, and regain his senses. When the time is right he'll strike. He stares at Gwendolyn and slowly nods.

It'll be their little secret.


End file.
